Nesta dissertação foi realizado um estudo de caso acerca da Conferência Business as An Agent of World Benefit, BAWB – GLOBAL FORUM edição virtual que aconteceu no ano de 2011 com o propósito de buscar e entender se esta se configura como uma inovação social, bem como em um possível exemplo na era da cooperação e generosidade coletiva. Optou-se por realizar uma pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando a metodologia de estudo de caso por meio de observação participante, uma vez que a autora do estudo trabalhou diretamente no processo de concepção e execução da conferência estudada. Buscou-se entender como a tecnologia auxilia na formação das redes sociais, que neste caso, se mobilizaram para divulgar e compartilhar todo o conhecimento que estava sendo exposto. Verificou-se também o poder das redes sociais, uma vez que quando o tema faz sentido para as pessoas, estas abraçam a causa e se engajam, twitando, facebookando e compartilhando. Para entender a conferência em si, precisamos entender o mundo globalizado, as redes sociais, o uso das mídias sociais, o conceito de inovação social e a sociedade em rede e, para tanto, utilizados autores como Franco (2008), Giardelli (2011), Castels (1999), Canclini (2005) entre outros citados. Uma vez que os estudos das redes sociais e dos temas abordados são relativamente novos, vários sites foram consultados na elaboração deste trabalho. A análise do discurso dos palestrantes selecionados para este estudo se configurou em importante ferramenta de trabalho. A utilização da tecnologia (mídias sociais) para estreitar e fortalecer as redes sociais foi abordada no presente estudo e se configura como um reforço para a afirmação de que as mudanças na sociedade e a era da cooperação e da generosidade coletiva está sendo construída pelas pessoas e que quanto melhor estas utilizarem os aparatos tecnológicos, por consequência essa nova era se fortalece. / This dissertation was a case study on a Conference on Business as Na Agent of World Benefit, BAWB - GLOBAL FORUM online edition that took place in 2011 in order to seek and understand if this format can be configured as a social innovation and as a possible example in the era of cooperation and collective generosity. We decided to conduct a qualitative research methodology using a case study with a participative observation, since the study’s author worked directly in the process of designing and implementing the conference. We sought to understand how technology could help in the establishment of social networks, which in this case, were mobilized to disseminate and share all the knowledge that was being exposed. The research also attempts to verity the power of social networks, considering the fact that when the subject makes sense for people, they embrace and engage on it through twitter and facebook. To understand the conference itself, we must understand the globalized world, social networks, the use of social media, the concept of social innovation and the network society and, therefore, the authors used as Franco (2008), Giardelli (2011), Castels (1999), Canclini (2005) and others cited. Since the studies of social networks and the issues are relatively new, several sites were consulted in preparing this work. The analysis of the speech of speakers selected for this study was set up as an important working tool. The use of technology (social media) to tighten and strengthen social networks was addressed in this study and is configured as a boost for the claim that changes in society and the era of cooperation and collective generosity is being built by people and the better use of these technological devices, therefore this new era is strengthened.

Nesta dissertação foi realizado um estudo de caso acerca da Conferência Business as An Agent of World Benefit, BAWB – GLOBAL FORUM edição virtual que aconteceu no ano de 2011 com o propósito de buscar e entender se esta se configura como uma inovação social, bem como em um possível exemplo na era da cooperação e generosidade coletiva. Optou-se por realizar uma pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando a metodologia de estudo de caso por meio de observação participante, uma vez que a autora do estudo trabalhou diretamente no processo de concepção e execução da conferência estudada. Buscou-se entender como a tecnologia auxilia na formação das redes sociais, que neste caso, se mobilizaram para divulgar e compartilhar todo o conhecimento que estava sendo exposto. Verificou-se também o poder das redes sociais, uma vez que quando o tema faz sentido para as pessoas, estas abraçam a causa e se engajam, twitando, facebookando e compartilhando. Para entender a conferência em si, precisamos entender o mundo globalizado, as redes sociais, o uso das mídias sociais, o conceito de inovação social e a sociedade em rede e, para tanto, utilizados autores como Franco (2008), Giardelli (2011), Castels (1999), Canclini (2005) entre outros citados. Uma vez que os estudos das redes sociais e dos temas abordados são relativamente novos, vários sites foram consultados na elaboração deste trabalho. A análise do discurso dos palestrantes selecionados para este estudo se configurou em importante ferramenta de trabalho. A utilização da tecnologia (mídias sociais) para estreitar e fortalecer as redes sociais foi abordada no presente estudo e se configura como um reforço para a afirmação de que as mudanças na sociedade e a era da cooperação e da generosidade coletiva está sendo construída pelas pessoas e que quanto melhor estas utilizarem os aparatos tecnológicos, por consequência essa nova era se fortalece. / This dissertation was a case study on a Conference on Business as Na Agent of World Benefit, BAWB - GLOBAL FORUM online edition that took place in 2011 in order to seek and understand if this format can be configured as a social innovation and as a possible example in the era of cooperation and collective generosity. We decided to conduct a qualitative research methodology using a case study with a participative observation, since the study’s author worked directly in the process of designing and implementing the conference. We sought to understand how technology could help in the establishment of social networks, which in this case, were mobilized to disseminate and share all the knowledge that was being exposed. The research also attempts to verity the power of social networks, considering the fact that when the subject makes sense for people, they embrace and engage on it through twitter and facebook. To understand the conference itself, we must understand the globalized world, social networks, the use of social media, the concept of social innovation and the network society and, therefore, the authors used as Franco (2008), Giardelli (2011), Castels (1999), Canclini (2005) and others cited. Since the studies of social networks and the issues are relatively new, several sites were consulted in preparing this work. The analysis of the speech of speakers selected for this study was set up as an important working tool. The use of technology (social media) to tighten and strengthen social networks was addressed in this study and is configured as a boost for the claim that changes in society and the era of cooperation and collective generosity is being built by people and the better use of these technological devices, therefore this new era is strengthened.

Orientador: Maria Cecília Calani Baranauskas / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T16:57:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pereira_Roberto_D.pdf: 4415021 bytes, checksum: 07810c54c8af09b8c99558461a229442 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: O advento da Web 2.0 tornou possível o desenvolvimento de aplicações mais ricas e inovadoras em termos de interatividade. Nos chamados software social, ou aplicações sociais, usuários criam, compartilham e recomendam informação, e interagem entre si em escala e velocidade até então inéditas. Embora tenha ocorrido uma popularização desse tipo de sistemas, ainda há pouco conhecimento sobre como projetar sistemas que façam sentido aos seus usuários e que não desencadeiem efeitos negativos no ambiente social em que eles são disponibilizados. Problemas de sobrecarga falta de qualidade e de credibilidade da informação, e impactos negativos em valores como privacidade, confiança e reputação são comumente reportados no contexto de software social. Nesses sistemas, a diversidade de usuários e de seus contextos socioculturais atinge dimensões e introduzem dificuldades com as quais os designers não estão acostumados a lidar. Isso demonstra que projetar aplicações no contexto de uma sociedade mediada por tecnologias da informação e comunicação é uma tarefa cada vez mais complexa, demandando uma visão de design socialmente responsável que considere de forma explícita os valores e a cultura das diferentes partes interessadas. Lidar com aspectos emocionais e afetivos, culturais e de valores, é um dos desafios que caracterizam um novo momento na área de IHC que requer que as técnicas e teorias utilizadas para apoiar o design de sistemas sejam repensadas, trazendo cultura e valores humanos para o centro do processo de design, e desenvolvendo novos artefatos, métodos e exemplos para apoiar o design em suas diferentes atividades. Esta tese de doutorado propõe uma abordagem culturalmente informada e orientada a valores para o design de software social, e demonstra a utilização dessa abordagem para apoiar o design de um sistema no qual a autoridade de seus participantes é um fator chave. A abordagem, denominada VCIA (Value-oriented and Culturally Informed Approach), articula teorias de diferentes áreas e fornece um conjunto de artefatos e métodos criados/adaptados para apoiar diferentes atividades de design. O software social, denominado TNR (Todos Nós em Rede), está sendo projetado para favorecer a constituição de uma rede de autoridades entre professores da área de Educação Especial / Abstract: The Web 2.0 advent has made it possible the development of richer and innovative applications in terms of interactivity. In the so-called social software, or social applications, users create, recommend and share information, and interact with each other at scales and speeds never seen before. Although there was a popularization of such systems, there is still little knowledge about how to design systems that make sense to their users and do not trigger negative effects on the social environment in which they are introduced. Social software has suffered from problems of information overload, lack of quality and credibility, and has negatively impacted on values such as privacy, trust and reputation. In social software, the diversity of users and their sociocultural contexts reaches dimensions and introduces difficulties that designers are not used to deal with. This demonstrates that designing applications in the context of a society mediated by information and communication technologies is an increasingly complex task, requiring a socially responsible view for design that explicitly considers the values and culture of the different stakeholders. Dealing with aspects related to emotion, culture, and values, is one of the challenges that characterize a new moment in the IHC area that requires techniques and theories used to support the design of interactive systems to be rethought. It also requires putting culture and human values at the center of the design process and creating new artifacts, methods and examples for supporting the design in its different activities. This thesis proposes a value-oriented and culturally informed approach (VCIA) for the design of social software, and demonstrates the use of this approach to support the design of a system in which the authority of its participants is a key factor. VCIA articulates theories from different areas and provides a set of methods and artifacts created/adapted to support different design activities. The social software, named TNR (Portuguese acronym for All of Us Networked), is being designed to promote the constitution of a network of authorities among teachers from the Special Education area / Doutorado / Ciência da Computação / Doutor em Ciência da Computação

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree: Master of Technology: Entrepreneurial Studies and Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Different social classes of people in South Africa are divided, digitally. This phenomenon manifests as a disparity of information in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies), which is a matter of concern, as the use of ICT is acknowledged to greatly influence the world today, more specifically so in rural areas. An investigation to determine which factors affect rural communities’ access to information, as well as progress levels that can be realised in the support means employed by people resident in rural areas, through introducing ICT’s in their day-to-day living, thus addresses the purported ‘digital divide’. The study’s population was drawn from the Dibate Village community, located in Mmabatho in Mafikeng, South Africa. Recommendations from the findings, point out how ICT facilities can be utilised in the development of rural communities, not just socially but also economically. As main objective, the study evaluates and examines the use of ICT facilities for commercial activities, in uplifting the rural community in the area of Dibate Village. This study is of value to governmental and non-governmental organisations where improving both socio-economic development and service delivery is concerned, in South Africa’s rural areas. / M

The impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on relational behavior is a topic of increasing interest to communication scholars (McQuillen, 2003; Tidwell & Walther, 2002). One of the most interesting issues that CMC raises concerns the impact of CMC on relational maintenance and development. Using dialectical theory, social exchange theory, social information processing theory, and the hyperpersonal perspective as theoretical frameworks, this study used quantitative and qualitative analyses to identity potential effects of CMC on relationships. Study 1 (n=317) examined the effects of CMC on relational closeness, satisfaction, and social support. Study 2 (n=196) explored the reasons individuals provide for privileging computer-mediated forms of communication, and the perceived effects of using CMC in relational communication. Results indicated that quality of CMC predicted increased perceptions of social support and relationship satisfaction. Results further suggested that CMC enabled participants to manage more effectively relational tensions of autonomy-connection and openness-closedness. Specifically, individuals used CMC to retain higher levels of conversational control, and to maintain greater numbers of relationships with decreased levels of investment. This paper concludes with a discussion of implications and directions for future research.

Libraries, particularly academic libraries implement technologies to enhance their services to promote teaching, learning and research. In this thesis the impact of information technologies (library technologies) on delivery of services at the Balme Library of the University of Ghana was evaluated. The researcher adopted the multi-methods approach to the research by using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data from users (students) of the library and para-professional staff of the Balme Library of the University of Ghana who formed one group of the study. The interview was used to collect data form professional staff of the library who on the other hand formed the second group of the study. Responses of the data collected from the two groups formed the components of the study and data collected quantitatively were analysed using univariate analysis method and interpreted by the descriptive and inferential statistics method. The qualitative data, on the other hand, was analysed using the narrative analysis approach. The findings of the study reveal that a variety of IT facilities such as computers, internet, photocopiers, scanners, braille embossers, magnifiers for reading, reference management software, video conference facility, electronic theses, electronic databases, automated library system, electronic past questions and the library website are available at the library and are very accessible to all users (students) and staff of the library. Students and staff of the library have good IT skills to utilise those resources. The findings also reveal that the IT infrastructure had positive impacts on the delivery of library services ensuring that users received the appropriate services they needed at the right times and places The study found challenges of slow internet connectivity, unstable power supply, lack of IT skills, inadequate IT infrastructure among others and these hinder the maximum utilisation of IT in and out of the library and recommends periodic training of staff and users, proper maintenance of facilities, increase of internet bandwidth and better marketing of library services / Information Science / M. Inf. (Information Science)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Physical activity monitoring using wearable sensors give valuable information about patient's neuro activities. Fall among ages of 60 and older in US is a leading cause for injury-related health issues and present serious concern in the public health care sector. If the emergency treatments are not on time, these injuries may result in disability, paralysis, or even death. In this work, we present an approach that early detect fall occurrences. Low power capacitive accelerometers incorporated with microcontroller processing units were utilized to early detect accurate information about fall events. Decision tree algorithms were implemented to set thresholds for data acquired from accelerometers. Data is then verified against their thresholds and the data acquisition decision unit makes the decision to save patients from fall occurrences. Daily activities are logged on an onboard memory chip with Bluetooth option to transfer the data wirelessly to mobile devices. In this work, a system prototype based on neurosignal activities was built and tested against seven different daily human activities for the sake of differentiating between fall and non-fall detection. The developed system features low power, high speed, and high reliability. Eventually, this study will lead to wearable fall detection system that serves important need within the health care sector. In this work Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) protocol is used to communicate between the accelerometers and the embedded control system. The data transfer from the Microcontroller unit to the mobile device or laptop is done using Bluetooth technology.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Emotional communication is fundamental to everyday interaction. How well emotions are communicated is crucial to interpersonal relationships and individual well-being. Emotional communication in instant messaging (IM), however, can be challenging because of the absence of visual and aural nonverbal behaviors. Despite the growing number of technologically-focused solutions for supporting emotional communication in IM, limited design research has been done to study the actual users’ behaviors in communicating their emotion in IM and strategies they use to adapt emotional communication in this medium, with the purpose of establishing design solutions to support users' emotional communication. Connecting several bodies of HCI, design, and communication literature in the context of IM, this dissertation critically examines how users communicate emotion in IM and accordingly establishes user-centered multi-touch gesture based design solutions to support emotional communication in this medium. Understanding how users communicate their emotion in IM, the design issues, and corresponding design solutions help researchers and designers to support the user's emotional needs, resulting in the improvement of emotional communication strategies in IM.

D. Tech. (Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The agriculture sector is the lifeblood of the economies of the world's least developed countries (LDCs). In Zimbabwe, this sector is considered to be the backbone of Zimbabwe's economy, and as a result, it is the sector that supports the economic growth of the country, food security, and poverty eradication efforts. Furthermore, the use of mobile technology has continued to rise in Zimbabwe, and farmers now can obtain agricultural information through the use of mobile technology. Mobile phones are increasingly being integrated into current agricultural trade businesses, owing to the critical role they serve in facilitating information transmission between farmers and buyers. The potential of mobile phones in agriculture spawned mAgriculture, which is the use of mobile phones to provide agricultural information and services. Variousitechnology companies in iZimbabwe have come up with various mobile farming platforms as innovation, with the aim of improving overall performance among smallholder farmers. In order to find the usefullness of these mobile farming platforms, it imperative to measure the adoption and acceptance of this technology in the farming environment. The study sought to investigate the adoption and acceptance of mobile farming platforms in Zimbabwe through a more comprehensive model based on UTAUT 2 that encapsulates the key factors that influence user adoption and acceptance of mobile farming platforms. The main aim of the study was to inform technology start-up companies and other mobile application developers in the development of mobile farming platforms or applications that can be fully adopted and accepted by users, taking into cognisance all salient factors affecting their adoption and acceptance. The model has been used to investigate smallholder farmers in a developing country such as Zimbabwe. The model explores the effect of attitude as one of the key determinants that affect the behavioral intention to use mobile farming platforms. In addition, the model looked at the moderating effect of Hofstede's five cultural dimensions on the key determinants that influence behavioral intention as well as actual use of mobile farming platforms at individual level. A total of 411 questionnaires were received from smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe's three major provinces who were using mobile farming platforms. Structural Equation Modelling was utilized to test the hypothesized conceptual model. Reliability and validity checks were done to the model instrument. As hypothesized, the findings of this study revealed that performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE) and facilitating conditions (FC) are significant determinants of the newly added variable Attitude (AT). Attitude (AT), together with social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), hedonic motivation (HM), price value (PV), and habit (HB) were found to be significant determinants of behavioral intention and usage of mobile farming platforms for smallholder farmers. The results also showed that cultural dimensions have a moderating effect on user acceptance of mobile farming platforms. According to the findings, attitude and culture are significant factors to consider when analyzing farmers' behavioral intentions and use of mobile farming platforms. The findings of the study contribute to the literature by validating and supporting the applicability of the extended UTAUT 2 for the adoption and acceptance of mobile farming platforms by smallholder farmers in developing countries. The theoretical contribution of the study was through the extension of UTAUT 2 where attitude was added as one of the new key determinants of behavioral intention and cultural dimensions were added as mediators. The other contribution is to the Zimbabwean farming community where the study was conducted.

This dissertation acknowledges that despite the global initiatives towards an inclusive information society, there are still some disparities in how communities access and use the information and communication technologies (ICTs) that are available. These disparities, or digital divide, have been interpreted and addressed from different interrelated theoretical view points. The provision of ICTs through public access centres has been widely applauded as one of the strategies to enable especially disadvantaged communities to participate in today‟s information led economy. Botswana has adopted the just noted approach. The country has also developed policies and supportive infrastructure to enable especially the rural communities to be part of the global information society. It is however regrettable that access and usage of ICT‟s is still notably low in rural communities. The concern over this worrisome situation motivated this study to explore the factors that enabled or inhibited access and use of ICTs that were available to the Letlhakeng community through public access centres. This descriptive case study was conducted in four sequential stages: designing, conducting the research, data analysis and development of conclusions. The study was characterized by a continued comparative analysis of data which was collected through interviews; observation and review of related documents from the service providers; the users and non users of the services. The Letlhakeng community had access to ICTs through individually owned stand alone centres and from government supported centres. These centres were used by both residents of Letlhakeng and people from nearby villages. The factors that promoted or inhibited access and use of the available ICTs differed within and between these communities. Despite the observed digital divide, the Letlhakeng community used the ICT public centres to access social services. There is a need to develop strategies to increase access to more technologies in the village and to equip the community / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)