The digital divide is a core issue of the information society. It refers to the division between those who have access to, or are comfortable using, information and communication technology (ICT) (the "haves") and those who do not have access to, or are not comfortable using ICT (the "have-nots"). The digital divide is a complex phenomenon. The majority of studies to date have examined the digital divide from a socio-economic perspective. These studies have identified income, education and employment as the key factors in determining the division between the "haves" and the "have-nots". Very little research has explore the psychological, social or cultural factors that contribute to digital inequality in community. The current study filled this gap by using Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) to examine the psychological barriers that prevent individuals from integrating ICT into their everyday lives. SCT postulates that a person will act according to their perceived capabilities and the anticipated consequences of their actions. Four studies have explored the digital divide using SCT. Because of limitations in the research design these studies have shed only limited light onto current understanding of digital inequality in community. The current research was the first study exploring the digital divide that (i) incorporated both socio-economic and socio-cognitive factors, (ii) used a community context that ensured the recruitment of participants who represented the full spectrum of the general population, and (iii) was conducted in both the US and Australia. Data was gathered via self administered questionnaires in two communities: Brisbane, Australia and San Jose, USA. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 330 and 398 participants from the US and Australia, respectively. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to explore the research question: what influence do socio-cognitive factors have in predicting internet use by members of the general population when the effects of socio-economic factors are controlled? The results of this analysis revealed that attitudes do matter. The US study found that socio-economic factors were not statistically significant predictors of internet use. The only factor that found to be a significant predictor of use was internet self efficacy. In short individuals with higher levels of internet self efficacy reported higher levels of internet use. Unlike the US study, the Australian study found that by themselves several socio-economic factors predicted internet use. In order of importance these were age, gender, income and ethnicity. However, the study also revealed that when socio-economic factors are controlled for, and socio-cognitive variables included into the analysis, it is the socio-cognitive and not the socioeconomic variables that are the dominant (in fact the only!) predictors of internet use. The research illustrated that the digital divide involves more than just the availability of resources and funds to access those resources. It incorporates the internal forces of an individual that motivates to them to use or integrate ICT into their lives. The digital divide is not just about ICT such as computers and the internet. It is about people. As such, the key to solving the issue of digital inequality is not going to be found with corporate or government funds providing physical access to technology. Instead, the key to solving digital inequality is inside the individual person. The alternative view of the digital divide presented in this research is by no means intended to minimise the role played by socio-economic factors. Indeed, the socioeconomic perspective has helped shed light on a very real social issue. What this research has done is suggest that the digital divide is more complex and more involved than has been imagined, and that further and different research is required if genuine insights and real steps are going to be made in establishing an information society for all.

This thesis examines policy documents relating to the knowledge society of six Asia-Pacific countries (India, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji and New Zealand). I employ Norman Fairclough’s version of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to explore the discursive construction of knowledge-related policies within a comparative case study methodology. Leximancer – a computer software for text analysis is used to assist in operationalising parts of the CDA. The general conclusions drawn from the study indicate that the evolving knowledge policy discourse in the Asia-Pacific is not based on any robust theoretical framework but on international and country-specific paradigms of the knowledge society. In the policy discourses, the knowledge society is posited as a desired outcome in light of external (global) imperatives - economic globalisation, technological knowledge and innovation flows, and ICT revolution – which are married to context-specific developmental imperatives arising from geography, culture, history and polity. This hybridisation process gives shape to unique knowledge society paradigms of each country. My CDA analysis shows that the ideology of neoliberalism is a key discursive influence on the knowledge society paradigms and is mutated by differences in contexts across different countries. In the discourses, neoliberalism operates via an emphasis on policy restructuring (privatisation, deregulation and liberalisation), and streamlining of governance mechanisms relating to key knowledge and information policy sectors. The resulting knowledge society constructions are context and time-dependent frameworks and exhibit two core arguments of convergence in all the case studies: (1) ICT and Science & Technology as vehicles for knowledge-based development need to grow in an enabling policy environment and; (2) the twin imperatives of globalisation and technological revolution mean that knowledge policy should have a competitive and innovation orientation, and should be continuously readjusted in tune with global economic changes. In addition to convergence, there are two major issues of divergence, namely: (1) emphasis on affirmative action in knowledge-related policies of India, Malaysia, and Fiji; (2) the promotion of cultural production and creative industries in Singapore, New Zealand, and more recently in Korea. The original contribution of this thesis is that it provides a reassessment of the role of neoliberalism in knowledge society. The study is novel both in the selection of the problem and the methodology. Comparative case studies using CDA have not been attempted at the regional scale and not with this level of documentary data. The use of Leximancer improves the management of textual data and increases the validity of the interpretations. A study of this magnitude has not been attempted for the Asia-Pacific region previously. Finally, the conclusions drawn from applying the CDA are both persuasive and creative in terms of analysing policy discourses of the knowledge society.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Marilyn J. young, Florida State University, College of Communication, Dept. of Communication. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Jan. 27, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 222 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Early this century "S-shaped" curves, sigmoids, gained popularity among demographers. However, by 1940, the approach had "fallen out of favour", being criticised for giving poor results and having no theoretical validity. It was also considered that models of total population were of little practical interest, the main forecasting procedure currently adopted being the bottom-up "cohort-component" method. In the light of poor forecasting performance from component methods, a re-assessment is given in this thesis of the use of simple trend models. A suitable means of fitting these models to census data is developed, using a non-linear least squares algorithm based on minimisation of a proportionately weighted residual sum of squares. It is demonstrated that useful models can be obtained from which, by using a top-down methodology, component populations and vital components can be derived. When these models are recast in a recursive parameterisation, it is shown that forecasts can be obtained which, it is argued, are superior to existing official projections. Regarding theoretical validity, it is argued that sigmoid models relate closely to Malthusian theory and give a mathematical statement of the demographic transition. In order to judge the suitability of extrapolating from sigmoid models, a framework using Catastrophe Theory is developed. It is found that such a framework allows one qualitatively to model population changes resulting from subtle changes in influencing variables. The use of Catastrophe Theory has advantages over conventional demographic models as it allows a more holistic approach to population modelling.

The UK Higher Education (UKHE) sector has expanded overseas student numbers in recent years bringing significant economic and financial benefits to the sector and the economy. Yet, overseas student numbers are now under threat due to international competition, UK immigration law and the recent referendum decision to leave the EU. As a result, two key challenges arise for UKHE: the need to operate effectively in an international market; and, to meet the increasing expectations of international students (Grove 2015).Chinese students form the largest overseas country group studying in the UK with 21% of all overseas students. Business studies, including accounting, is the most popular subject area with nearly 40% of all overseas students (UK Council for International Student Affairs, 2016). This DBA study explores the learning experiences of a cohort of overseas Chinese students who have transferred from two years of study at colleges in China to a professionally accredited accounting undergraduate degree programme at a Scottish university. The overarching aim is to understand the nature of the students' learning experiences in the context of the degree programme in which the study takes place. The research was conducted from a critical realist theoretical perspective and used a qualitative research method to develop an understanding of the nature of the learning experiences as perceived by participants. Research data, gathered from focus group interviews with student participants, was analysed thematically. Findings show that issues with English lead to low levels of integration with other students, resulting in participants turning towards a learning strategy of independent learning among themselves. This further restricts exposure to English, including specialised accounting vocabulary, accounting concepts and theories, and cultural experience. The findings make a contribution to knowledge in terms of how this group of overseas Chinese students perceive and respond to their learning experiences of a Scottish accounting degree programme including aspects of the specific accounting subject discipline. Recommendations offer considerations to enhance LTA practice in the wider HEI context and the accounting discipline.

Trata da preservação de documentos arquivísticos produzidos e mantidos no meio digital através da análise do Portal de Gestão da Prefeitura Municipal de Porto Alegre tendo por base teórica a diplomática contemporânea. Parte da origem do termo arquivo à análise da sociedade contemporânea sob os pontos de vista da sociedade da informação, sociedade do controle e da sociedade de vigilância. Diferencia os paradigmas Custodiai e Pós-Custodial e discute a proposta da arquivística integrada. Analisa a diplomática voltada aos documentos medievais, a diplomática especial e a diplomática arquivística contemporânea. que une os preceitos da Diplomática e os conceitos da Arquivologia. Apresenta o Projeto InterPARES, sua base teórico-metodológica e os resultados já obtidos pelo projeto e aplicados na presente pesquisa. Discute a preservação de acervos documentais, tradicionais e digitais, destacando as peculiaridades da preservação dos documentos arquivísticos digitais, fidedignos e autênticos. Apresenta os resultados da pesquisa realizada concluindo que o Portal de Gestão é um documento arquivístico digital, que mantém outros documentos, e pela necessidade do estabelecimento de um plano de preservação para garantir seu acesso de longo prazo. / This paper focuses on the preservation of archival documents produced and maintained in the digital environment trough analysis by the Porto Alegre City Hall Management Portal based on theoretical contemporary Diplomatic. It sets off from the origin of the term archive to the analysis of contemporary society from the views of information society, society of control, and surveillance society. It distinguishes Custodiai and Post-Custodial paradigms and discusses the proposal of an integrated archival. It analyzes the Diplomatic focused on medieval documents, the Special Diplomatic and the Contemporary Archival Diplomatic, which gathers the precepts of the Diplomatic and the concepts of Archival. It presents the InterPARES Project, its theoretical and methodological basis, and the results already achieved by the project and applied in this research. It discusses the preservation of documentary, traditional and digital collections highlighting the preservation of digital archival documents peculiarities while maintaining its reliability and authenticity. It presents the results of the survey, concluding that the Management Portal is a digital archival document which holds other documents, and that it is necessary to establish a preservation plan to ensure its longterm access.

As práticas profissionais dos bibliotecários têm sido influenciadas e modificadas com a introdução das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação nas Unidades de Informação e nos meios de disseminação da informação, tornando-a facilmente acessível. Estas modificações ocorrem mais evidentemente nas bibliotecas universitárias, pois o fluxo de geração de conhecimento é mais intenso. Considerando que o usuário é a razão da existência de uma Unidade de Informação, este trabalho tem por objetivo verificar a representação social que os usuários possuem sobre as práticas dos bibliotecários universitários e dos serviços das bibliotecas universitárias no contexto da Sociedade da Informação. A pesquisa foi realizada durante o segundo semestre de 2007, em 5 bibliotecas universitárias de Porto Alegre e região metropolitana-RS, por meio de aplicação de questionários. Conclui-se que as práticas dos bibliotecários e o conceito de biblioteca estão calcados na imagem tradicional que os usuários possuem dos mesmos. / The librarian´s professional practices have been influenced and modified by the introduction of Information and Comunication Technologies into Information Units as well as among the spreading means of information, thus making information more easily accessible. These modifications are obviously more evident at the universitary libraries, where the generation of knowledge is more intense. Regarding the user as the reason of being of an Information Unit, the aim of this study is to verify the social representation that the users own over the university librarians´ practices as well as the work of the universitary libraries into the context of the Information Society. A survey was carried out over the second semester of 2007, through the application of a questionnaire in 5 universitary libraries from Porto Alegre and metropolitan area-RS. It was concluded that both, the librarians´practices and the concept of library are based on the traditional image that the users have about them.

nformation security (InfoSec) policies are widely used by institutions as a form of InfoSec control measure to protect their information assets. InfoSec policies are commonly documented in natural language, which is prone to ambiguity and misinterpretation, thereby making it hard, if not impossible, for users to comply with. These misinterpretations may lead the students or staff members to wrongfully execute the required actions, thereby making institutions vulnerable to InfoSec attacks. According to the literature review conducted in this work, InfoSec policy documents are often not followed or complied with; and the key issues facing InfoSec policy compliance include the lack of management support for InfoSec, organisational cultures of non-compliance, intentional and unintentional policy violation by employees (the insider threat), lack of policy awareness and training as well as the policy being unclear or ambiguous. This study is set in the higher education context and explores the extent to which the non-compliance problem is embedded within the policy documents themselves being affected by ambiguity. A qualitative method with a case study research strategy was followed in the research, in the form of an inductive approach with a cross-sectional time horizon, whereby a selection case of relevant institutional InfoSec policies were analysed. The data was collected in the form of academic literature and InfoSec policies of higher education institutions to derive themes for data analysis. A qualitative content analysis was performed on the policies, which identified ambiguity problems in the data. The findings indicated the presence of ambiguity within the policy documents, making it possible to misinterpret some of the policy statements. Formal methods were explored as a possible solution to the policy ambiguity. A framework was then proposed to address ambiguity and improve on the clarity of the semantics of policy statements. The framework can be used by policy writers in paying attention to the presence of ambiguity in their policies and address these when drafting or revising their policy documents. / School of Computing / M. Sc.(Computing)

A Sociedade da Informação, segundo alguns autores, caracteriza os inúmeros desafios que as tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TICs) podem impor às estruturas sociais. Atualmente, muitos desses desafios adentram os espaços escolares exigindo “competências” no uso da internet e das diversas mídias educacionais, impondo aos professores buscas de novos subsídios para sua prática pedagógica. Essa velocidade de propagação das informações propiciadas pelas tecnologias, associadas à alta eficiência e eficácia declaradas por seus defensores, demonstram mudanças na sociedade. Esse e outros discursos colocam em evidencia que as potencialidades das inovações tecnológicas efetivariam novas dinâmicas que tornariam a aprendizagem uma responsabilidade partilhada, uma maneira efetiva de crescimento individual e em grupo, valorizando a troca de experiência e o conhecimento de cada sujeito, encorajando e respeitando as diferenças e construindo com as similaridades. A visão de educação tradicional têm tido os limites rompidos por novas modalidades de relações, tendo na internet uma possível perspectiva para o professor ampliar as formas de lecionar, modificar o processo de avaliação e de comunicação com o aluno e com seus colegas, dinamizando os processos de ensino e aprendizagem. Essa atual modificação da educação marca uma nova episteme segundo autores como Gilles Deleuze (1992), e que se caracteriza não pela busca por uma concentração de conhecimentos e informação, mas por uma Sociedade de Controle na qual os sujeitos estão imersos em outras/novas sujeições e de onde se podem tecer novas linhas de fuga. Esses novos saberes e poderes reclamam por formas específicas de pesquisa, filosofia e educação, as quais deram suporte ao presente trabalho, que procurou investigar os efeitos da introdução das TICs no Ensino de Ciências na Escola Básica, utilizando-se, para este fim, de pesquisa bibliográfica e pesquisa de grupo, traçando e organizando os dados com base nos referenciais que permeiam a pesquisa, analisando e averiguando a relação de professores em sua prática com as ferramentas e saberes construídos para essa sociedade informatizada. / The information society according to some authors, characterizes the numerous challenges that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can impose on social structures. Many of these challenges now step into the school spaces requiring "skills" in the use of the Internet and various educational media, so it is important that teachers seek forms of ownership as subsidies for their pedagogical practice. This speed of propagation of information afforded by the technologies, associated with the high efficiency and effectiveness declared by its advocates, demonstrate changes in society,. This and other speeches put in evidence the potential of these technological innovations in which new dynamics would make learning a shared responsibility, an effective way of individual and growth group, valuing the exchange of experience and knowledge of each subject, encouraging and respecting the differences and building with the similarities. The traditional view of education is breaking the limits for new ways of relationships, and is having on the Internet a possible perspective for the teacher to expand the forms of teaching, to modify the evaluation process and communication with students and colleagues, streamlining teaching and learning processes. This current characterization marks a new episteme, not the search for a concentration of knowledge and information, but for a society of control and where subjects are immersed in other / new subjections and where they can weave new lines of flight. These new knowledges and power claim for specific forms of research, education and philosophy that have supported this work, which sought to investigate the effects of the introduction of ICTs in Science Teaching in Primary School, using bibliographic and group research, plotting and organizing the data based on the references that permeate the research by analyzing and ascertaining the relationship of teachers in their practice with the tools and knowledge to built this computerized society.

As práticas profissionais dos bibliotecários têm sido influenciadas e modificadas com a introdução das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação nas Unidades de Informação e nos meios de disseminação da informação, tornando-a facilmente acessível. Estas modificações ocorrem mais evidentemente nas bibliotecas universitárias, pois o fluxo de geração de conhecimento é mais intenso. Considerando que o usuário é a razão da existência de uma Unidade de Informação, este trabalho tem por objetivo verificar a representação social que os usuários possuem sobre as práticas dos bibliotecários universitários e dos serviços das bibliotecas universitárias no contexto da Sociedade da Informação. A pesquisa foi realizada durante o segundo semestre de 2007, em 5 bibliotecas universitárias de Porto Alegre e região metropolitana-RS, por meio de aplicação de questionários. Conclui-se que as práticas dos bibliotecários e o conceito de biblioteca estão calcados na imagem tradicional que os usuários possuem dos mesmos. / The librarian´s professional practices have been influenced and modified by the introduction of Information and Comunication Technologies into Information Units as well as among the spreading means of information, thus making information more easily accessible. These modifications are obviously more evident at the universitary libraries, where the generation of knowledge is more intense. Regarding the user as the reason of being of an Information Unit, the aim of this study is to verify the social representation that the users own over the university librarians´ practices as well as the work of the universitary libraries into the context of the Information Society. A survey was carried out over the second semester of 2007, through the application of a questionnaire in 5 universitary libraries from Porto Alegre and metropolitan area-RS. It was concluded that both, the librarians´practices and the concept of library are based on the traditional image that the users have about them.