The diploma thesis ``Teaching the czech language with the help of smart board`` concentrates on the work with the smart board during the lessons of Czech language. The aim of this thesis is to make a CD with three lessons taught in the practise. This work is divided into two parts {--} the theoretical and practical part. Some basic terms concerning the interactive board and its facilities are explained in the theoretical part. It also deals with the overview of the types of the smart boards, interactive textbooks, interactive exercises, interactive classrooms etc. Some softwares are mentioned here too. There is also a part mentioning some news when teaching with modern technologies in the Czech Republic. The basis of the practical part is to create a manual on a CD that will be proved in the practise and will be able to be used in the future teaching of Czech language. The CD will contain three exemplary lessons. The next part of the theoretical part will be a questionnaire gained by the teachers who teach Czech language with the help of smart board and their notes and opinions. Every single chapter and its subheads serve for its own dividing.

Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: The purpose of this study was to test an interactive educational program for older adults on preventing accidental falls. Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study evaluating the helpfulness of an interactive educational program. English speaking residents were recruited from five independent senior living communities in Arizona. The intervention consisted of a 30-minute interactive PowerPoint presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer session. Information provided during the presentation focused on information from the CDC and the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence. Participants completed an anonymous questionnaire to rate the helpfulness of the program. The primary dependent variable was overall helpfulness of the educational session. Other variables included: intention of changing future behavior related to preventing falls, whether participants would recommend the program to others, participant perception of gained knowledge, change in fear of falling, and interest in meeting with pharmacist to discuss medications. Categorical data was analyzed by calculating frequencies and percentages and continuous data by calculating means and SDs. A t-test for independent groups was used to compare men and women. Main Results: A total of 93 individuals attended the presentations. Out of 81 completed surveys, 5 did not indicate gender, 7 additional did not indicate age, and 6 were over 89 years of age. Demographic data for the men and women was similar. 90% of participants indicated that the program was either "very helpful" or "moderately helpful". 92% of participants responded “absolutely yes” or “likely” that they would recommend the program. No participants strongly disagreed that they had a better understanding of fall risks or medications that increase fall risk. 87% of participants responded “absolutely yes” or “likely” that they plan to increase daily exercise . 42% of participants said it was “not likely” that they plan to make changes in their living environment. Conclusions: An interactive educational program on fall safety and prevention is helpful for older adults. As one of the most widely accessible health care providers, pharmacists and pharmacy students are well suited to provide patient education and improve outcomes. The results of this study provide preliminary data supporting the usefulness of a patient education program on fall safety prevention administered by pharmacy students.

This thesis explores the expansion of the piano performance environment, using technology to augment the sound, the playing area of the piano and its surroundings, and/or the performer's own body in controlling electronic elements of the music. In particular I examine the extension of piano technique and how this is affected by adding technology. I also discuss collaborative compositional processes in creating co-authored musical works and have given a critical appraisal of the different technological systems used in all of these pieces. I have also introduced ideas about developing the structure of the piano to better suit contemporary techniques and the addition of technological elements in piano playing. These ideas are represented by my own "Inside-out Piano", illustrated within the thesis. Throughout this work many new pieces for piano and live electronics have been generated and I hope these may also be useful as a resource for other pianists exploring their own interactions with the piano.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第15664号 / 工博第3322号 / 新制||工||1501(附属図書館) / 28201 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科機械理工学専攻 / (主査)教授 椹木 哲夫, 教授 松原 厚, 教授 西脇 眞二 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

This PhD portfolio focuses on research across interactive computer music composition and live performance involving instrumental players and instrumental sounds. It examines methods of disjoining original connections between performers’ actions, the instrument as sound sources, and musical outcomes, and also methods of reconstructing new connections between them via electronic intermediation. At the same time, the portfolio of creative works presented in this study proposes multiple performing styles and explores innovative electroacoustic music as well as its context. Through this portfolio, the composer invites readers to her original sound world and individual musical concepts, which are informed by visually-related ideas such as imaginary views, colours, scenes of a story, and art paintings, alongside their associated titles.

AFRIKAANS: In die lig van 'n nuwe Suid-Afrika met 'n groot diversiteit ten opsigte van kulture, etnisiteit, tale en sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede is die paradigmaskuif, wat tans besig is om plaas te vind in die onderwyssisteem, nie so maklik uitvoerbaar nie. Onderwysbestuurders wat opgevoed en opgelei is in 'n outokratiese onderwyssisteem en gewoond was om skole as geslote entiteit te bestuur, beleef ‘n onvermoë en gebrek aan bestuursvaardighede om die nuwe verandering na 'n demokratiese homogene multikulturele onderwysstelsel te bestuur. Onderwysbestuurders is nie gewoond om skole as selfbesturende oop entiteite te bestuur nie. Daar heers gevolglik ‘n dringende. behoefte by onderwysbestuurders tot verdere studie om sodoende op praktiese wyse hul bestuursvaardighede te ontwikkel om hierdie paradigmaskuif te bestuur. As gevolg van dringende werksverpligtinge en ekonomiese implikasie, kan onderwysbestuurders egter nie hulle instellings vir 'n jaar of twee verlaat vir verdere studies, terwyl die paradigmaskuif momentum kry nie. Onderwysbestuurders is gevolglik geforseer om verdere studie deur middel van afstandsonderrig te doen. 'n Ondersoek word geloods om vas te stel wat die beste afstandsonderrigmetode sal wees om praktiese bestuursvaardighede te ontwikkel. Hierna word ook riglyne verskaf hoe om so 'n kursus te bestuur en te administreer. Die aanname word dan ook gemaak dat die tersiêre instansie wat eerste met hierdie afstandsonderrigmetode voortgaan, toonaangewend sal word en groei in inskrywingsgetalle vir onderwysbestuurders. Hierdie afstandsonderrigmetode is interaktiewe televisie-onderrig wat die antwoord blyk te wees vir die probleem van effektiewe kwaliteit opvoedende onderrig aan onderwys¬bestuurders. Vraelyste is uitgestuur aan respondente wat reeds onderrig deur middel van interaktiewe televisie ontvang om vas te stel in watter mate respondente tevrede is met afstandsonderrig deur middel van interaktiewe televisie-onderrig en of hulle in die toekoms weer van hierdie onderrigmedium gebruik sal maak. Nadat die konsep van interaktiewe televisie-onderrig belig word, poog die navorser om 'n bestuursplan daar te stel om sodanige onderwysbestuurskursus deur middel van interaktiewe televisie op mikrovlak te bestuur. Die navorser sien 'n interaktiewe televisie-uitsending as 'n produksie en program dus om 'n produksiebestuursplan op mikrovlak van sodanige uitsending wat preproduksie, produksie en na-produksie insluit, te ontwikkel. Sodanige produksiebestuursplan sal dan aan die produksiebestuurder (departementshoof of projekbestuurder) aandui hoe om 'n praktiese wyse bestuursfunksie suksesvol in spesifieke bestuursareas uit te oefen ten einde kwaliteit onderrig deur middel van interaktiewe televisie-onderrig te verseker. ENGLISH: In view of the fact of a new South Africa with a great diversity with regard to cultures, ethnicity and socio-economic conditions, it is not easy to implement the paradigm shift which is currently taking place in the educational system. Educational managers who have been educated and trained in an autocratic educational system and who were used to managing schools as closed entities experience an inability and a lack of management skills in order to manage the change to a democratic homogenous multi-cultural society. Educational managers are not used to managing schools as open entities, consequently a serious need exists for further study for educational managers in order to develop their management skills in a practical manner to enable them to manage this paradigm shift. However, as a result of pressing work commitments and economic implications, it is not possible for educational managers to leave their institutions for a year or two to pursue further studies while the paradigm shift gains momentum. Educational managers are therefore forced to pursue further studies by means of distance learning. A project has been launched in order to determine what would be the best distance learning method to develop practical management skills. This is followed by guidelines on how to manage and administer such a course. The assumption is made that the tertiary institution which leads the way in administering this distance learning method will. become pre-eminent and that the enrolment figures for educational managers will increase. This distance learning method is interactive television education which seems to be the answer to the problem of effective quality educational instruction for educational managers. Questionnaires were sent to respondents who are currently receiving training by means of interactive television to determine to which extent the respondents are satisfied with distance learning by means of interactive television and whether they would make use of this educational medium in future. After highlighting the concept of interactive television, the researcher attempts to provide a management plan to manage such an educational management course by means of interactive television on micro level. The researcher sees interactive television broadcasts as a production and a programme, and therefore plans to develop a production plan on micro level of such a broadcast which includes pre¬production, production and post-production. Such a production plan will indicate to the production manager (head of department or project manager) how to implement in a practical manner, management functions in specific management areas in order to ensure quality education by means of interactive television education. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Fantasy play is when children explore and travel through time and space, to interpret experiences into stories and to act them out. Children love this kind of play and it is really important for developing skills which will be used later in life. Today, computers are increasingly present in children's lives, and the development of technology over recent decades has changed the way children play. This thesis explores the possibility of young children (aged 3-4) enacting their fantasy play in a virtual environment. Three different games were designed and implemented on a Mitsubishi DiamondTouch (DT) multi-touch interactive tabletop. Three evaluation studies were conducted and the performance of the children's fantasy play was examined. In each study, children were recruited from a local preschool class. The first study was designed to compare fantasy play in physical and virtual settings. Children from the preschool class in a state primary school were invited to play with both a real tree house and its virtual implementation on a Mitsubishi DiamondTouch (DT) multi-touch interactive tabletop. Overall, the children played quietly and alone. The results evinced several problems in the interaction with the tabletop as children struggled to drag the objects displayed on the table surface. Therefore, the study did not provide conclusive evidence of a distinction in fantasy in physical and virtual environments. The second study was concentrated on testing solutions for the interaction difficulties evinced in the first study. A new application named The Magic House was developed and implemented on a Mitsubishi DT multi-touch interactive tabletop and tested twice with the preschool children. The results showed that most of the interaction problems from Study 1 were eliminated; evidence of more fantasy play was captured, and children played more confidently in the second evaluation session. The third study was designed to investigate and to compare children's fantasy play in physical and virtual settings. A new physical setting and the virtual implementation on the Mitsubishi DT multi-touch interactive tabletop of materials named The Farm were designed and examined with a group of preschool children. The results revealed that high occurrence of fantasy play was observed in the virtual setting and several similarities and dissimilarities between the two settings was also highlighted. Overall, this thesis produced knowledge on how the application on the multi-touch interactive tabletop environment was designed and evaluated with preschool children. The thesis results demonstrate that appropriate interaction design of virtual environments could stimulate preschool children's fantasy play and the tabletop can be operated by children as young as three. This thesis also specified requirements for designing and facilitating tabletop environments for preschool children's fantasy play.

The objectives of the research were to determine whether there is a preferred device in the home environment that the consumer would perceive to be easy to use, offer a sense of security and allow the seamless purchase of commodity items. The research involved interviews with leading managers in large corporations that influence the development of products used in the home environment as well as a survey to a controlled group of consumer electronic experts. The research findings show that although there is much hype about the future of certain technology devices for use in the home environment, the consumer is interested in an easy to use technology that offers seamless connectivity in a secure environment with trusted service providers. Lastly, the findings established that further in depth research is required on the impact of the new wireless networks and mobile connectivity. / Mrs. Nikki Kettles

It has been established by several studies that interactive exhibitions in museums bring many benefits to the experience of its visitors. This thesis explores how to make the exhibition Människor och idéer i rörelse (People and Ideas in Motion) interactive. This exhibition took place at the Workroom of Rörelsernas Museum (Museum of Movements) in Malmö. The exhibition was designed so that no one needed to go inside, but rather view and interact with the content of the exhibition from the street, which was displayed on the windows of the Workroom.Through a context-based design approach, the design process consisted of three main phases: inspiration, ideation and implementation. Throughout the design process, it was defined that in order to maintain the distance measures needed, it was adamant to employ technology as a design material. Following a number of testings, the specific technologies that were to be used were defined, namely capacitive sensors. Following this, the project delves into the steps needed in order to define the output of sensors. The final product consisted of four sensors. Two of these were connected to surprise boxes that enhanced the visual content of the exhibition. The other two were connected to a sound system that employed the windows as speakers, providing extra information about the museum and the exhibition.

Master of Information Systems