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Background: This study explores an ICT for development project in previously ‘underserved’ community of Vrygrond in Cape Town South Africa. Developing countries have embraced technology as a means to improve the pace of development in their countries. Several projects have been setup that allow communities to access skills training programmes within their communities. However, there is a challenge when considering the sustainability of projects implemented to achieve their developmental goals Purpose: ICT for development initiatives are usually centrally planned without the involvement of the targeted communities. The targeted participants may be involved in the implementation phase only, and this may lead to sustainability failure. This study explores the how community participation affects sustainability of ICT for development projects in the context of South Africa. Research methodology: The methodology in this study is qualitative. Exploratory and descriptive research methods were used to analyse how community participation affects sustainability. This study used the Stakeholder Theory to explore community participation and project sustainability. Data was collected using semi structured interviews, documents, observations and applied thematic analysis. The Vrygrond Community Lab in Cape Town South Africa was used as a case study. Key Findings: Based on the analysed data, a number of key stakeholders were not involved in the project planning but were represented by the Vrygrond Community Trust. It was seen from the data that sustainability is dependent on closely working with existing community groups based within the community twenty-four seven. This research found positive relationship between participation and sustainability. Other findings indicated that there was an element of ‘tokenism’ and despite this the Vrygrond Community Lab seemed sustainable. This was attributed to the continued funding and operational support received from University of Cape Town and Pforzheim University. Finally, the study indicated that it was essential that socioeconomic and sociocultural issues are addressed quickly when they emerge. Value of the study: The study broadly contributes to the existing literature on community participation and sustainability of ICT4D initiatives in South Africa. Secondly study makes recommendations for donors and Universities looking to implement initiatives similar to the Vrygrond Community Lab in addressing socioeconomic challenges by equipping communities with computer skills that would assist them in their daily lives, either in finding work, studying, or running a business.

The Nordin group at Brigham Young University has been focused on developing 3D printing technology for fabrication of lab-on-a-chip (microfluidic) devices since 2013. As we showed in 2015, commercial 3D printers and resins have not been developed to meet the highly specialized needs of microfluidic device fabrication. We have therefore created custom 3D printers and resins specifically designed to meet these needs. As part of this development process, ad hoc 3D printer control software has been developed. However, the software is difficult to modify and maintain to support the numerous experimental iterations of hardware used in our custom 3D printers. This highlights the need for modular yet reliable system software that is easy to use, learn, and work with to adapt to the unique challenges of a student workforce. This thesis details the design and implementation of new 3D printer system software that meets these needs. In particular, a software engineering principle-based design approach is taken that lends itself to several specific development patterns that permit easy incorporation of new hardware into a 3D printer to enable rapid evaluation of and development with such new hardware.

La moda se mantiene en un cambio constante debido al entorno. Cada temporada los diseñadores crean colecciones y proponen nuevas tendencias que buscan responder las exigencias del público. A lo largo de los años, se ha notado un incremento significativo en el uso de la tecnología por parte de las personas. Es por ello que las nuevas tecnologías se han comenzado a fusionar con el indumento tradicional. En los últimos años, los diseñadores están cada vez más dispuestos a optar por este tipo de técnicas en sus colecciones. Pese a esto, aún se desconoce cómo es que la impresión 3D ha impactado en la industria de la moda en nuestro país. Por consiguiente, la presente investigación tiene como fin responder la siguiente pregunta: ¿Cuál es el impacto de la impresión 3D en la moda en Lima entre el 2016 y 2020? Para resolverlo, se debe conocer el desarrollo de esta tecnología y su definición de manera detallada. De igual manera, se busca describir cómo se aplica la impresión 3D en la moda en Lima. Para ello, se entrevistarán a 8 diseñadores peruanos que han realizado colecciones de moda utilizando esta tecnología. Para esta investigación se utilizará el método cualitativo con enfoque fenomenológico. Dicha información se obtendrá mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas con preguntas abiertas. Cabe mencionar que la presente investigación aportará un punto de partida como fuente de estudio para diversos proyectos académicos. / Fashion is constantly changing due to the environment. Each season designers create collections and propose new trends that seek to meet the demands of the public. Over the years, there has been a significant increase in the use of technology by people. That is why new technologies have begun to merge with traditional clothing. In recent years, designers are increasingly willing to opt for this type of technique in their collections. Despite this, it is still unknown how 3D printing has impacted the fashion industry in our country. Therefore, this research aims to answer the following question: What is the impact of 3D printing on fashion in Lima between 2016 and 2020? To solve it, you must know the development of this technology and its definition in detail. In the same way, it seeks to describe how 3D printing is applied in fashion in Lima. To do this, 8 Peruvian designers who have made fashion collections using this technology will be interviewed. For this research, the qualitative method with a phenomenological approach will be used. This information will be obtained through semi-structured interviews with open questions. It is worth mentioning that this research will provide a starting point as a source of study for various academic projects.

The development of software and communication technologies in education has led the majority of universities worldwide to integrate the functions of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) into their learning environments. LMSs offers several features that encourage their use by universities and other educational institutions, such as unlimited access to course content, easy tracking of learners’ progress and performance, and reduced costs in terms of both money and time. Most existing LMS studies have been focused on experienced LMS users who are familiar with its functions, with little consideration given to new users. Furthermore, although previous researchers have identified various means of enhancing the effectiveness of LMS use, no consensus has yet been reached on which of these features most successfully improve the learning outcomes of new learners enrolled in programming courses. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the usability of particular LMS features and their impact on learning outcomes for freshman students enrolled in programming courses. Through the Virtual Programming Lab (VPL) and discussion forums, particular LMS features have been considered. For this study, a quantitative quasi-experimental design was employed, including experimental and control groups of new students enrolled in an introductory programming course that involved different LMS features. These features have been considered in the place of treatment in this experiment, in which the level of difference between participants in the two groups was compared. This study involved two main dependent variables: LMS features’ usability and learning achievement. For the first dependent variable, LMS usability, the participants completed a survey, based on the components of Shackel’s usability model (1991), to evaluate the effectiveness of the LMS features’ usability. Four constructs underpin this model: effectiveness, learnability, flexibility, a¬¬nd attitude. For the second dependent variable, learning achievement, the final grade was used to measure the impact of these two LMS features on learning achievement between the two groups. The results revealed significance differences related to LMS features’ usability and learning achievement between the experimental group and the control group. Participants in the experimental group reported greater LMS usability than did those in the control group, and overall course scores indicated improved learning performance in members of the experimental group who applied the VPL and discussion forms features of programming courses.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第19935号 / 工博第4218号 / 新制||工||1652(附属図書館) / 33021 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科マイクロエンジニアリング専攻 / (主査)教授 小寺 秀俊, 教授 中部 主敬, 准教授 横川 隆司 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

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In this dissertation, several microfabricated devices are introduced to develop new applications in the area of chemical analysis. Electrochemical micropumps, chip-based liquid chromatography systems and multilayer capillary electrophoresis microdevices with crossover channels were fabricated using various substrates such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), glass, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). I have demonstrated pressure-driven pumping of liquids in microfabricated channels using electrochemical actuation. PDMS-based micropumps were integrated easily with channel-containing PMMA substrates. Flow rates on the order of ~10 µL/min were achieved using low voltages (10 V). The potential of electrolysis-based pumping in microchannels was further evaluated for pressure driven microchip liquid chromatography (LC). Two micropumps were connected with reservoirs for sample and mobile phase, situated at the ends of microchannels for sample injection and separation, respectively. Columns micromachined in glass were coated covalently with an organic stationary phase to provide a separation medium. A pressure-balanced sample injection method was developed and allowed the injection of picoliter sample volumes into the separation channel. Fast (<40 s) separation of three fluorescently tagged amino acids was performed in a 2.5-cm-long microchip column with an efficiency of 3300 theoretical plates. Improved electrode designs that eliminate the stochastic formation of bubbles on the electrode surface will enhance pumping reproducibility. Multilayer polymeric microdevices having fluidically and electrically independent crossover channels were made using phase-changing sacrificial layers (PCSLs). High-performance electrophoretic separations of fluorescently labeled amino acids were carried out in multilayer PMMA microchips. Neither pressure nor voltage applied in a crossover channel resulted in negative effects on the separation quality in the main fluidic path. A fifty-fold reduction in crossover volumes was achieved in next-generation multilayered microchips. The ability to make minimal dead volume crossover channels facilitated the design and operation of multichannel array microdevices with a minimum number of electrical and fluidic inputs. Replicate electrophoretic separation of two peptides was performed in parallel for three independent microchannels connected to a single sample reservoir. My work demonstrates the value of PCSLs in making complex microfluidic structures that should expand the application of micro-total analysis systems.

Through distance learning, the community college system has moved beyond geographical boundaries to serve all students and provide educational opportunities at a distance to individuals previously out of reach of the college community. With the inception of the Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) in January 2000, Mississippi’s public community colleges have experienced unprecedented growth in online enrollments and online course offerings to include the laboratory sciences; however, transfer of online lab science courses are problematic for individuals who wish to gain admittance to Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy schools in Mississippi. Currently online lab science courses are not accepted for transfer for students seeking admission to Mississippi Medical, Dental, or Pharmacy schools. The need for this study, the statement of the problem, and the purpose of the study address transfer issues related to the transfer of online lab science courses in Mississippi and the impact of such on the student and community college. The study also addresses existing doubts regarding online course delivery as a viable method of lab science delivery. The purpose of the study was to investigate differences between online instructional delivery as compared to traditional face-toace delivery with the following research questions to: 1. Investigate the perception of quality of online courses as compared to traditional face-toace courses. 2. Investigate the difference in student performance in online transfer lab science courses as compared to student performance in traditional face-toace lab science courses. The results of this 13 semester study show significant differences in both perception of quality and student performance between online instructional delivery as compared to traditional face-toace delivery. The findings demonstrate a need for Mississippi Dental, Medical, and Pharmacy schools to re-examine the articulation agreement between IHL and Community and Junior Colleges and consider accepting online lab sciences courses taken at the community college as transfer for admission to Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy schools. Conclusions are included in the study; however, additional studies are needed to address the issue of student performance in the online lab science classroom.