Physical objects with digital properties are being used more and more by the public. One such term for these artefacts include "the Internet of Things''. Most of these objects are often impossible to further modify or customise, and thus serve just the single purpose intended by their creators. This thesis explores the possibility of customising physical objects in order to provide an affordable and flexible way of interacting with them. A prototype, involving a mobile phone application (Android) and wireless sensor technology (NFC tags), was developed for the medical domain of speech and language therapy. The system, developed in close association with two therapists, allows the customisation of current speech and language exercise and associated material. It is designed to also assist with logging the patient interactions during the conduction of such exercises. The proposed solution has been tested and validated by medical experts, and its user interface evaluated by non-patient users.

Abstract Data is becoming more critical success factor as business processes rely increasingly on information systems. Product data is required to produce, sell, deliver, and invoice a product in information systems. Traditionally, product data and product data management (PDM) studies have focused on product development and related activities, with less attention being paid to PDM in other lifecycle phases. The purpose of this doctoral dissertation is to clarify challenges and prerequisites for company-wide PDM. The study covers the entire product lifecycle and provides potential solutions for developing company-wide PDM and enhancing PDM understanding as a company-wide action. The study was realised by collecting and analysing data from those ICT companies that are seeking for better ways to manage a wide product-range, technologically complex products and comprehensive solutions by enhancing their data management practices. The empirical practitioner’s experiences and perceptions are seen to have increased the knowledge in company-wide PDM. This study adopted a case study approach and utilises interviews as the main data collection method. This study indicates that company managers have already realised that successful business operations require a higher-level understanding of products and related product data. In practice, however, several challenges hinder the ability to achieve the goal of higher-level business-driven PDM. These challenges include product harmonisation, PDM process development requirements and information systems development requirements. The results of this research indicate that product harmonisation is required to better support efficient product data management. Understanding the true nature of product data, that is combination of product master data and other general product data, and the content of product data from different stakeholder perspectives are prerequisites for functional company-wide PDM. Higher-level product decisions have a significant impact on product data management. Extensive product ranges require general guidelines in order to be manageable, especially as even single products are complex. The results of this study indicate that companies should follow a top-down approach when developing their PDM practices. The results also indicate that companies require a generic product structure in order to support unified product management. The main implication of this dissertation is the support it provides for managers in terms of developing true company-wide product data management practices. / Tiivistelmä Tiedosta on tullut tärkeä liiketoiminnan menestystekijä liiketoimintaprosessien hyödyntäessä yhä vahvemmin tietojärjestelmiä. Tuotteisiin liittyvä tieto on olennaista, jotta tuote voidaan valmistaa, myydä, toimittaa ja laskuttaa. Tuotetietoa ja sen hallintaa on perinteisesti tarkastelu tuotekehityslähtöisesti kun tämä tutkimus pyrkii ymmärtämään tuotetiedon hallintaa kattaen myös edellä mainitut yrityksen toiminnot. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tunnistaa haasteita ja perusedellytyksiä yrityksenlaajuisten tuotetiedonhallinnan käytäntöjen kehittämiseksi. Tuotetiedon hallinta yrityksen laajuisena toimintona vaatii ymmärrystä eri toimijoista, jotka käyttävät tuotetietoa; tiedon luonteesta sekä tiedon hyödyntämisestä eri prosesseissa. Tutkimus toteutettiin ICT yrityksissä, joissa tuotetiedon käytäntöjä tehostamalla haetaan keinoja hallita laajaa tuotteistoa, teknologisesti monimutkaisten tuotteita sekä kokonaisratkaisuja. Käytännön toimijoiden kokemukset ja käsitykset ovat ensiarvoisen tärkeitä lisätessä tietoa yrityksen laajuisesta tuotetiedonhallinnasta. Tutkimus toteutettiin tapaustutkimuksen menetelmin, joissa pääasiallisena tiedonkeruu menetelmänä hyödynnettiin haastatteluja. Tämä tutkimus osoittaa, että liiketoimintalähtöisen tuotetiedon hallinan kehittäminen on ajankohtaista yrityksissä. Tutkimuksessa tunnistetaan lukuisia haasteita, jotka ovat estäneet liiketoimintalähtöisen tuotetiedonhallinnan saavuttamisen. Näitä haasteita ovat: tuotteen harmonisointi yrityksen eri toiminnoissa, tuotetiedon hallinnan prosessien kehittämisen vaatimukset sekä tietojärjestelmien kehittämisen vaatimukset. Tutkimustulosten mukaan tuotteiston harmonisointi on yksi perusedellityksistä tehokkaalle tuotetiedon hallinnalle. Yrityksen kattava tuotetiedoen hallinta vaatii myös tuotetiedon todellisen luonteen ymmärtämistä, joka koostuu tuotteen master datasta sekä muusta tuotetiedosta. Lisäksi on olennaista ymmrättää tuotetiedon sisältö sen todellisten käyttäjien näkökulmasta käsin. Tämän tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat myös, että tuotetiedon hallinnan kehittäminen pitäisi edetä ”top-down” eli ylhäältä-alas periaatteen mukaan. Tulokset myös viittaavat siihen, että geneerinen tuoterakenne tukee yhdenmukaisia tuotehallinta käytäntöjä. Nämä tulokset tarjoavat työssä esitettyjen kuvausten ja mallien ohella tukea tuotetiedon hallinnan käytäntöjen kehittämiseen yrityksen laajuisesti.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This mini-thesis attempts to explain the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure in public schools in the Western Cape. The mini-thesis uses the case study as research design to explore aspects such as the motivation for using ICT, funding models, infrastructure models, ICT curriculum integration and teacher development. In order to gather data on the above, interviews and observations are used as research tools. The study begins with the exploration of the history of ICT infrastructure in South African schools and subsequently an international perspective is added through the literature review. Officials and teachers of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) were interviewed to obtain their perspectives and a school was visited to observe procured ICT infrastructure. The results revealed that the WCED is using the Khanya project to deliver an ICT infrastructure to schools and to provide facilitation in the integration of ICT into the curriculum. It further showed that due to the rapid change in technology, Khanya had to adapt the hardware configuration on a regular basis and that this put considerable strain on and already small budget for ICT. The challenge that emerged is the lack of adequate ICT training for teachers. This could potentially hamper the integration of ICT and if not addressed, could serious hamper the WCED in its quest to deliver a technology based curriculum. The study concludes with conclusions drawn for the data as well as recommendations for effective ICT integration. / South Africa

This research is an attempt to obtain insight in the influence of ICT and the information society on the labour environment of the officers of the Netherlands Defence Organization and to determine the competence of those officers in a number of information, communication and technological areas associated with the changed ways of working in the information society as they are discussed in the literature. What was found is that a substantial number of officers are not fully prepared to participate in the new ways of working required in the information society. The implications of those findings for a digital learning environment for the Netherlands Defence Academy are discussed and a general model for information, communication and technological competencies for managers in the information society is proposed based on the results of the case study. / Thesis (PhD (Computer-Integrated Education))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

The thesis is focused on project management of IS/ICT projects, more specifically on the area concerning relationships among parties involved in IS/ICT project. The thesis presents two main contributions to the area of IS/ICT project management. Firstly, the thesis provides systematic order of available information in the area of relationships, and hence enables easy orientation in the area. This contribution is achieved via analysis of information contained in project management methodologies, IT Governance/IT Management standards, ISO standards, legislation and continual process improvement concept. Such analysis is followed by synthesis resulting in conceptual model of relationships among parties involved in IS/ICT projects. Secondly, the thesis provides recommendations that prevent potential problems to arise in the area of relationships among parties involved in IS/ICT projects. This contribution is achieved via application of conceptual model in the environment of real IS/ICT project, and consequent derivation of knowledge originating from problems of this project.

This work is focused on the problem of IS/ICT project cost estimation. Main aim of this work is to design a methodology, which can be use for project cost estimation in the initial part of the project stadium. Defining a basic terms of the project management and describing the most widely use cost estimation metods are the first step to archive main aim. This will be achived by studing literature and relevant articles of the project management. Next step is find an appropriate factors which help to set up the methodology. This factors can derive from a stakeholder's analysis. After definition these factors there si possible to set up a particular methodology. Universality (for a wide group of the projects), accuracy (to determine a particular method) and usability (in the initial part of the project stadium) are the most important criteria to review this methodology. Finally, it is necessary to evaluate the proposed methodology. This can be achieved by comparing the methods recommended in the methodology and the methods actually used for the real project cost estimation. The expected benefits of this work are the most widely use cost estimation metods arrangement and creation of the recommended metodology which can be used to cost estimation of future projects.

This diploma thesis deals with the theme of Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Software as a Service is one of the main trends in ICT sector during the past few years. The aim of this diploma thesis is to introduce readers this model in its wide ranging consequences and to accomplish a comparison of selected applications from office suite in SaaS model with applications from office suite Microsoft Office. Diploma thesis can be divided into two parts - the first part focuses on the theoretical basis (chapters 2 - 5) and the second part focuses on practical part (chapter 6). The third chapter (the first and second chapters are introduction) describes Software as a Service model and provides answers to the most frequently asked questions that belong to this model. Chapter number four introduces other trends in ICT industry and seeks and finds synergies between SaaS model and those trends. The next chapter deals with the "Does IT Matter?" question and SaaS model. Practical part of diploma thesis (chapter number six) includes comparison of applications from office suite in SaaS model (Google Docs and Zoho Office Suite) with selected applications from office suite Microsoft Office. Pieces of information for creation of this thesis are public accessible resources and resources accessible from University of Economic in Prague. Web 2.0 tools can provide relevant information. This thesis can be useful as instructional material for students and for interested persons. It can be also useful as a source of arguments for persons with competence of choosing information systems.

This diploma thesis deals with project management certifications. It focuses on project and program managers and explores their relationship with the certifications and possible links to quality management. The main objective is to make a cross-section area of certificates in the Czech market, create a a summary of available certifications and perform research, which chats certifications of companies carving out on bussines within the Czech ICT market. The thesis is divided into several parts. The first part is based on the theoretical foundations and was set up as an introduction to project management. Futher are particularly detailed project management competencies like an object of knowledge and skills, that are required to perform manager's work. The second part contains a list of available certificates, including requirements for obtaining. Contribution of this part is just the list created, which concentrates all the important details about particular certificates, including assignment of certificates for the recommended work positions. The last section describes the research implementing, which focuses on finfing out the plans of project and program managery for obtaining new certificates. Research deals with the analysis and synthesis of responses received and creates new knowledge, that reveal possible future trends. Research is unique in dealing with the Czech ICT market, which has not been studied on this topic yet. Diploma thesis presents a comprehensive view at the certifications, but also focuses on a narrow area of the ICT market, where possibilities of certificate usage are observed and confrontation of different views is offered.

I skolans matematikundervisning inkluderas ibland surfplattor och appar. En app är ett dataprogram som används på surfplattor. Syftet med denna studie är att bilda kunskap om hur lärare i årskurs 1–3 undervisar matematik med hjälp av olika appar. Studien genomfördes genom kvalitativa intervjuer med sex lärare som arbetar kontinuerligt med appar i matematikundervisningen. Resultatet visar att om appar ska användas i undervisningen bör det finnas ett tydligt mål och ett syfte med användandet, samt att det ska kunna kopplas till läroplanen och matematikboken. Vidare framkommer att användandet av appar sker på olika sätt och oftast med flera syften. Främst beskrivs appar som ett kompletterande verktyg och som en tillgång för att introducera ett centralt innehåll. Lärarnas syften med användandet var bland annat för mängdträning, individualisering eller för att skapa en högre måluppfyllelse. Andra syften med att använda appar var tidsbesparing, höjd motivation, direkt återkoppling, eller för bedömning och uppföljning. Lärarna använde olika appar i sin undervisning och det framkom vid intervjuerna att urvalet gjordes på tre olika sätt: Genom ett fritt val, via en IKT-ansvarig på skolorna eller via kommunens IT- avdelning. / Tablets and apps are more and more often used in math teaching. An app is a software program used for tablet computers. The purpose of this study is to create knowledge about how teachers in classes 1–3 teach math with help of different apps. The study was made through qualitative interviews with six teachers who work continuously with applications in math teaching. The result shows that if apps are to be used in teaching there should be a clear goal and purpose of the use. It should also be possible to relate to the curriculum and the course book. Furthermore, the study reveals that there are different ways and purposes of using apps. The apps are mainly described as complementary tools and as an asset in order to introduce a mathematical area. The teachers’ purposes were, for example, to increase the amount of practice, individualization, or to create a higher accomplishment rate. Other purposes of using apps were to produce direct feedback, increase student motivation, or for evaluation and follow-up. The selections of apps which were used for teaching varied and were chosen in three different ways; through free choice, via an ICT responsible, or via an IT office.

IBM Rational Requirements Composer (RRC) is a tool for software requirements engineering that supports requirements development and requirements management in the proces of software development. IBM RRC is a part of Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM) using the Jazz platform. In cooperation with other tools of this solution, especially with IBM Rational Team Concert (RTC), it advances the management of projects with large scope and extended teams. These tools have been developed for agile methodologies. This diploma uses the methodology for small software projects called MMSP for the analysis of IBM RRC's features. The main objective of this diploma thesis is the analysis of IBM RRC's features usable for software requirements engineering and demonstrates how to elevate the software requirements activities for school projects using the methodology MMSP. This diploma also pursues the objective of finding best practices and MMSP tasks to improve the requirements engineering proces. These objectives were achieved by deep analysis of various sources about software tools for requirements management, methodologies of IS/ICT development and information system development projects at the University of Economics in Prague and on using the IBM RRC. The key benefit of this diploma thesis is in raising the number of software tools which can be used for school projects of IS/ICT development using the MMSP methodology.