This thesis engages deindustrialization as a lived process and applies the concepts of precarity as they relate to communities navigating processes of deindustrialization. Through ethnographic interviews and participant observation research conducted over the summer of 2017 I examine the lived experiences of circular migrant labourers and their significant others, who live in the former coal town of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, as they engage in strategies to keep their families in the community. I explore the continuities of industrialization, deindustrialization and labour; the history of work in the region; the present sacrifices that families make to stay in the communities; why families stay; and what they circular migrant labourers and their significant others imagine the future of the region will look like as they raise their children there. Further, as circular migrant labourers are away from home and their families for significant amounts of time, often at irregular schedules, I ask about the strategies that labourers and their families use to eke out a living in a marginalized community. I ask participants what it is like to have to leave the community for work; what it is like to stay behind while your significant other is away for work; what is it like to be home together; and what strategies are used to keep in touch. One such strategy is the use of internet communication technologies to negotiate physical and social distance. However, these technologies do not always necessarily make up for time spent away from loved ones. / Graduate / 2019-04-17

The European Board in March of the year 2000 in Lisbon was a determinant moment in the politics and actions of the European Union. Its conclusions confirm that Europe entered the century of knowledge. Information and communication technologies’ integration into school is the keystone of part of the education reform of the country on which success depends on the education of a new society citizen of knowledge, as well as, the success of the whole educational reform, the social and economic progress. By educating the member of the society of knowledge, a school pays special attention to the personal characteristics which are very important in modern life- initiative, responsibility, independency, ability to communicate, work with others and solve problems. Students have to be able to use information and communication technology in collaboration, spreading information, in communication with students of the same age, with teachers and other individuals, with social and state organizations. By spreading new technologies into education, an exceptional attention should be paid to the pedagogues’ professional development and their social universality. It is important for teachers to gain some elementary knowledge and skills about the technology of information and to constantly improve their qualification and to renew their knowledge. However the teacher training system still is not in line with the changes made at schools in the latter decade. This system is not ready to... [to full text]

With the rapidly increasing pace of developments in the IT industry there is now rising pressure on companies to maintain a high standard of competency in their workforce. As a result, a lot of research has been put into how best to assist in this competence development as well as how ICT technologies can play a part in this endeavour. One platform that is widely used as a communication tool within organizations is Microsoft Teams, with over 270 million users. However, there is little research looking into how Microsoft Teams is used and how this usage supports knowledge sharing within organizations. This case study aimed to fill this gap by providing insight into how Microsoft Teams impacts information availability and knowledge sharing within an IT-consulting firm. Furthermore, the purpose was to look how workers inside the organization experience the integration and use of Teams and its positive and negative aspects. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees within the organization with varying tenures. The results show an overall positive inclination among the employees toward the use of Microsoft Teams, with it improving information availability and arenas for communication. However, the results also indicate that the use of Microsoft Teams causes an overload in information and communication which under certain circumstances can become a distraction. The study contributes insights into the causes of these positive and negatives effects and provides a discussion whether Teams should be considered an Enterprise Social Media Platform in the context of the chosen

This study reports on the use of action research methodology to generate a critical reflective collaborative setting. The aim was to infuse the institution with the results of this study in order to stimulate debate on the issues regarding change in practice and systems. The suitability of Internet communication technologies, more specifically the online learning community, is evaluated as a delivery mode that would address today’s learning needs. This required the collaborative construction of knowledge in a community setting with the teacher enabling communication and interaction, and facilitating and stimulating the sharing and testing of ideas and constructs. But such a learning scenario was found to be significantly challenging to the current print-based learning experience. It implied a challenge to teaching and support staff as well as the questioning of the efficiency and legitimacy of current instructional design staff and procedures used. The teaching responsibilities and commitment in the online community was outlined as against current print-based teaching practice. The current development and production culture, which restricts innovation and change in practice and systems significantly, came under pressure. The success of the online learning community in the Unisa context was nevertheless significant and it has the potential to serve as an opportunity to re-examine print-based production and delivery and to devise strategies and solutions to increase the quality significantly. / Faculty of Education / D. Ed.

This study reports on the use of action research methodology to generate a critical reflective collaborative setting. The aim was to infuse the institution with the results of this study in order to stimulate debate on the issues regarding change in practice and systems. The suitability of Internet communication technologies, more specifically the online learning community, is evaluated as a delivery mode that would address today’s learning needs. This required the collaborative construction of knowledge in a community setting with the teacher enabling communication and interaction, and facilitating and stimulating the sharing and testing of ideas and constructs. But such a learning scenario was found to be significantly challenging to the current print-based learning experience. It implied a challenge to teaching and support staff as well as the questioning of the efficiency and legitimacy of current instructional design staff and procedures used. The teaching responsibilities and commitment in the online community was outlined as against current print-based teaching practice. The current development and production culture, which restricts innovation and change in practice and systems significantly, came under pressure. The success of the online learning community in the Unisa context was nevertheless significant and it has the potential to serve as an opportunity to re-examine print-based production and delivery and to devise strategies and solutions to increase the quality significantly. / Faculty of Education / D. Ed.