Supporting retention, student success, and online enrollments are some of the most significant and challenging topics in higher education today. Students who fail to succeed early in their studies are less likely to be retained, and students in the online environment are more likely to fail than their campus counterparts. Motivational techniques have been shown to support course retention and success, but studies of online motivational course support methods are limited. Some evidence exists that motivational messages can affect student performance in online courses, but the message format that is most effective has yet to be definitively established. A survey research design was employed and quantitative and qualitative data were collected to determine how motivational messages and message type affect student performance and retention in an introductory online community college course. The population consisted of students in three sections of an introductory online IT course. The data included student course grades, final course scores, responses to three surveys, and the researcher's reflexive journal of motivational message design decisions made throughout the course. Due to low course participation levels and low survey return rates, only the descriptive data were reported. Additional exploration of the literature to explain low participation was sought. Potential causes for low survey return rates included low course participation, survey length, the number of survey contacts, inaccurate estimates of survey completion time, and the number of surveys deployed. To explain the low course participation, best practices with regard to online course design were identified in the literature and compared to the design of the course used in this study. Qualitative survey results and a reflexive journal of the researcher's design decisions are also presented. The results suggest that students liked the motivational messages. The reaction was stronger for the personalized messages than for the general, but this was not a conclusive finding. To the contrary the findings suggest that motivational messages (regardless of type) are not by themselves effective at engaging and retaining students and should not be used as a stand-alone motivational technique.

Submitted by Odilio Hilario Moreira Júnior (odilio@espm.br) on 2016-11-28T17:26:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria P.Socorro M.F.Carvalho.pdf: 12237122 bytes, checksum: 5ca851deff82b7f9466f140c94656736 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Odilio Hilario Moreira Júnior (odilio@espm.br) on 2016-11-28T17:26:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria P.Socorro M.F.Carvalho.pdf: 12237122 bytes, checksum: 5ca851deff82b7f9466f140c94656736 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Debora Cristina Bonfim Aquarone (deborabonfim@espm.br) on 2016-11-28T17:27:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria P.Socorro M.F.Carvalho.pdf: 12237122 bytes, checksum: 5ca851deff82b7f9466f140c94656736 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-28T17:28:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria P.Socorro M.F.Carvalho.pdf: 12237122 bytes, checksum: 5ca851deff82b7f9466f140c94656736 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-27 / With the subject of this dissertation: “The reception by paulistanos of the Bahia’s touristics messages” follow by State of Bahia’s advertising campaigns. Thinking of `Bahia’s touristic massages’ we will analyze the stereotype’s impacts on the baiano citizen by the paulistanos citizens trough the campaigns and search for the receivers: paulistas, people who was born in São Paulo. It will be indentified the moral arguments presents on the paulista’s speeches. The adopted methodology has it bases on the French Scholl. For this research will be adopted the following procedures: 1) People born in São Paulo will be chosen; 2) They will be invited to watch three Bahiatursa`s touristcs campaigns; 3) The participants will report what are their thoughts of Bahia after watching the campaigns; 4) The reports will be recorded and the material transcribed in order to catalogue the campaign`s impacts on the paulistanos interviewed. / O objeto de estudo desta dissertação: “A recepção pelos paulistanos das mensagens midiáticas de divulgação do turismo na Bahia”, são campanhas publicitárias do governo do estado da Bahia (Bahiatursa). Ao refletir sobre as campanhas publicitárias “Campanhas deTurismo Receptivo Estado da Bahia”, pretendemos analisar os possíveis impactos no “estereótipo” do sujeito baiano pelo paulistano através das campanhas midiáticas e buscar do público receptor, paulistas nascidos em São Paulo, o impacto da recepção destas mensagens publicitárias, o olhar, o imaginário dos paulistanos do “Estado da Bahia”. Identificaremos os argumentos morais presentes nos discursos dos paulistanos. A metodologia adotada tem por base a Escola de Análise de Discurso de Linha Francesa. Para esta pesquisa serão adotados os seguintes procedimentos: 1) seleção de pessoas nascidas na cidade de São Paulo; 2) os selecionados serão convidados a assistir três campanhas publicitárias da Bahiatursa; 3) em continuidade a este processo, os participantes irão relatar a recepção, o olhar que estes sujeitos paulistanos obtiveram do Estado da Bahia a partir dessas mídias; 4) Estas entrevistas em profundidade serão gravadas e transcritas com a finalidade de buscar o impacto dessas mensagens midiáticas por estes paulistanos entrevistados.

Email provides the average person with the ability to instantaneously communicate with people across the planet. However, the ease of this communication not only allows people to exchange information, but can also generate a large volume of messages. The methods of interacting with this repository currently in use are far from adequate. This thesis focuses on the development of a new interface for managing one's inbox and mail folders. The approach provides the user with a data visualization of an overview of the entire mailbox, or a chosen subset, at once. The tool includes interactions that allow a user to focus his or her attention on specific email and delve deeper into it in a simple intuitive fashion. A user study confirmed the usefulness of the resulting system.

Text in both English and Afrikaans / Since the early 2000s, the tourism industry in South Africa has experienced phenomenal change and, concomitantly, the hospitality industry has also seen significant growth. This growth has been driven by factors such as the increased demand for hospitality in both the leisure and the business markets. The hotel industry has immensely been benefited. The Tourism Business Index’s report released quarterly by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, indicating that the revenue received from each available room in the hotel sector increased significantly from 2009. Tourism research has revealed that, globally, the hospitality industry is among the largest employers of labour. The hospitality industry, especially the hotel sector, works hand in hand with tourism. Tourists traveling to a destination require accommodation which is generally provided by hotels. If the tourist is to have a good experience, it is vital that the tourist organisation and the hotel communicate so as to exchange information. Integrated marketing communication (IMC) has been described as a concept that many organisations adopt in order both to coordinate the operation of the organisation effectively and to increase the bottom line. In IMC, also creates synergy within an organisation and paves the way for consistent messages to be sent out to the organisation’s target audience. The aim of this study was to analyse the use of IMC by the View Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. To analyse the IMC at the hotel, in-depth interviews were conducted with both marketing staff and guests. In the aspect of planned messages, the outcome of the study revealed that the hotel uses marketing communication tools on a limited scale and, that to ensure message consistency the manager handles all external communication activities. However, the study also showed that ensuring message consistency should be the responsibility of everyone employed in the hotel. With regard to the product messages, the study showed that guests were negatively disposed towards the food, beverages, entertainment and recreation offered by the hotel. However, the service messages of the study indicated that the hotel’s service quality was good and that the staff were responsive to the needs of the guests. In respect of unplanned messages, the study showed that the hotel was receiving limited coverage from the media and that word of mouth communication was an effective tool in the hotel’s communication toolbox. On the whole, thus, it may be said that the study underscores the centrality of IMC as an instrument for creating and nurturing the relations between the hotel and its quests. It is anticipated that the outcome of this study should provide hotels such as the View Boutique Hotel with guidance in regard to utilising IMC to its full potential to make sure that there is message consistency and also to optimise communication impact. / Sedert die vroeë 2000's het die toerismebedryf in Suid-Afrika 'n merkwaardige verandering ondergaan, en daarmee saam het die gasvryheidsbedryf aansienlike groei getoon. Hierdie groei is aangevuur deur faktore soos die toenemende vraag na gasvryheid in die ontspannings- en sakemark. Die hotelbedryf het baie hierby gebaat. Volgens die besigheidsindeks vir toerisme wat kwartaalliks deur die Toerismebesigheidsraad van Suid-Afrika vrygestel word, het die inkomste uit elke beskikbare kamer in die hotelbedryf sedert 2009 aansienlik toegeneem. Navorsing oor toerisme het getoon dat die gasvryheidsbedryf wêreldwyd die meeste werk verskaf. Die gasvryheidsbedryf, en veral die hotelbedryf, gaan hand aan hand met toerisme. Toeriste wat na 'n bestemming reis het akkommodasie nodig wat oor die algemeen deur hotelle gebied word. Om te verseker dat toeriste positiewe belewenisse het, is dit kritiek dat toeriste-organisasies en hotelle kommunikeer om inligting uit te ruil. Geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie word beskryf as 'n konsep wat baie organisasies aanneem om die bedryf van die organisasie effektief te koördineer en die netto wins te verhoog. Geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie skep medewerking in 'n organisasie en baan die weg vir konsekwente boodskappe wat aan die organisasie se teikengehoor uitgedra word. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die gebruik van geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie by die View Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, Suid-Afrika, te ondersoek. In die ondersoek van die geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie by die hotel is diepgaande onderhoude met bemarkingspersoneel en gaste gevoer. Ten opsigte van beplande kommunikasie het die studie bevind dat die hotel bemarkingskommunikasie-instrumente op beperkte skaal gebruik, en om te verseker dat die kommunikasie konsekwent is, hanteer die bestuurder alle eksterne kommunikasie-aktiwiteite. Die studie het egter ook getoon dat dit elke werknemer by die hotel se verantwoordelikheid is om konsekwente kommunikasie te verseker. Met verwysing na produkkommunikasie het die studie getoon dat die gaste negatief ingestel was oor die kos, drankies, vermaaklikheid en ontspanning wat by die hotel aangebied is. Die studie het egter bevind dat die diens by die hotel goed was en dat die personeel goed op die gaste se behoeftes gereageer het. Met betrekking tot ix onbeplande kommunikasie het die studie getoon dat die hotel beperkte dekking in die media geniet en dat mondelinge kommunikasie 'n doeltreffende instrument in die hotel se arsenaal is. Oor die algemeen kan daar gesê word dat die studie die sentraliteit van geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie onderskryf as instrument vir die skep en uitbou van verhoudings tussen die hotel en sy gaste. Die resultate van hierdie studie behoort aan hotelle soos die View Boutique Hotel riglyne te bied oor hoe geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie ten volle benut kan word om konsekwente kommunikasie te verseker, en om die impak van kommunikasie te optimeer. / Communication Science / M.A.(Psychology)

Reducing the percentage of unwanted pregnancies has been one of the top objectives of the national health promotion "Healthy People" since the early 1980s. As the increase of unwanted pregnancies continues, research is necessary to uncover factors that influence the decisions women make about their contraceptive methods. The current study examines the topics and the sources of memorable messages regarding LARCs. To address the research questions, this study will analyze interviews conducted with young women about memorable messages regarding LARC methods. This study is a formative research of memorable messages in the context of contraceptive methods, specifically long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). This study gives insight into characteristics to better target young women when promoting contraceptive methods, especially LARCs. Debunking myths and misconceptions about LARCs and improve overall health literacy about these methods among young women and their mothers should be a top priority.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the potential joint influence of need for cognition (NC), the dispositional preference for engaging in (or avoiding) effortful cognitive processing of information, and type of smoking risk message (i.e., factual and evaluative messages similar in message content and length) on the construction of smoking-relevant risk perceptions among college smokers. A secondary purpose was to examine potential mechanisms through which changes in risk perception might occur. 227 college smokers evaluated one of three pamphlets, (1) a factual (i.e., primarily fact-based) smoking risk pamphlet, (2) an evaluative (i.e., primarily emotion based) smoking risk pamphlet, or (3) a control pamphlet unrelated to smoking. Among occasional smokers, NC interacted with type of risk message to influence perceptions of post-pamphlet risk for several of the risk perception outcomes examined. Specifically, smokers lower in NC reported higher levels of perceived risk in response to the evaluative pamphlet whereas smokers higher in NC reported greater perceived risk in response to the factual pamphlet. The interaction did not predict risk perception outcomes among daily smokers. Significant changes in the mechanisms examined were not observed. Findings provide evidence that NC interacts with type of smoking risk message to influence changes in smoking-related health risk perceptions among occasional college smokers. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Il émerge des entreprises une forte demande d'évolution de leurs applications informatiques vers plus de coopération. Le problème est de réaliser cette migration tout en gardant la qualité de l'existant rompu aux difficultés rencontrées. Ceci suppose une ré-ingénierie de ces applications. Dans certains cas, des solutions provisoires et non satisfaisantes ont été apportées sous forme de coopération externe. Celle-ci consiste par des moyens humains, logiciels et matériels, à mettre en relation certaines entités produisant de l'information à celles la nécessitant. Cette coopération externe présente divers inconvénients : souvent lente, peu efficace, peu souple, et demandant des moyens parfois disproportionnés par rapport aux gains obtenus. En automatisant la coopération nous pensons pouvoir éliminer l'ensemble des problèmes énumérés ci-dessus tout en améliorant tant du point de vue qualitatif que quantitatif la part prise par la coopération. <br />Nous allons pour cela proposer une méthode basée sur une organisation de modules opératoires en groupes de travail dynamiques dont la composition peut évoluer au cours du temps. Cette méthode permettra également de mettre en évidence les éléments de coopération, de les mettre en relation et de les composer éventuellement afin d'en créer de nouveaux plus riches sémantiquement et donc plus à même d'être utilisés dans un environnement coopératif. <br />Afin de rendre opérationnelle notre méthode, la dernière étape proposée va permettre d'obtenir des règles de type ÉCA à partir d'un langage de spécification associé à la méthode. Ces règles permettront la mise en œuvre concrête de la coopération. Elles seront exécutées par la plate-forme coopérative distribuée que nous avons développée et qui permet à la fois la gestion des groupes de travail dynamiques et la circulation des éléments de coopération.<br />Notre approche globale permet la mise en œuvre de la coopération par ré-ingénierie de l'application sans modifier les modules opératoires existants. Nous proposons une méthode intégralement dérivable (après vérification formelle) en règles, elles même intégrées à une plate-forme qui permet la mise en coopération.

Avec l'évolution des machines parallèles, le besoin en protocole de tolérance aux fautes devient de plus en plus important. Les protocoles de tolérance aux fautes existants ne sont pas adaptés à ces architectures car soit ils forcent un redémarrage global (protocoles de sauvegarde de points de reprise coordonnés) soit ils forcent l'enregistrement de tous les messages (protocoles à enregistrement de messages). Nous avons étudié les caractéristiques des protocoles existants. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié le déterminisme des applications, étant donné que les protocoles existants supposent des exécutions non déterministes ou déterministes par morceaux. Dans notre étude, nous nous sommes intéressés au modèle par échange de messages, et plus précisément aux applications MPI. Nous avons analysé 26 applications MPI et avons mis avant une nouvelle caractéristique appelée "déterminisme des émissions" qui correspond à la majorité des applications étudiées. Dans un second temps, nous nous sommes intéressés aux schémas de communications des applications afin d'étudier l'existence des groupes de processus dans ces schémas. L'étude a montré que pour la plupart des applications, il est possible de créer des groupes de processus de façon à minimiser la taille des groupes et le volume des messages inter-groupe. A partir de là nous avons proposé deux protocoles de tolérance aux fautes. Le premier est un protocole de sauvegarde de points de reprise non coordonnés pour les applications à émissions déterministes qui évite l'effet domino en n'enregistrant qu'un sous ensemble des messages de l'application. Nous avons également adapté le protocole pour l'utiliser sur des groupes de processus. Par la suite, nous avons proposé HydEE, un protocole hiérarchique fondé sur le déterminisme des émissions et les groupes de processus. Il combine un protocole de sauvegarde de points de reprise coordonnés au sein des groupes à un protocole à enregistrement de messages entre les groupes.

Depuis la fin des années 90, les différentes méthodes issues de l'apprentissage artificiel ont été étudiées et appliquées au problème de classement de messages électroniques (filtrage de spam), avec des résultats très bons, mais pas parfaits. Il a toujours été considéré que ces méthodes étaient adaptées aux solutions de filtrage orientées vers un seul destinataire et non pas au classement des messages d'une communauté entière. Dans cette thèse notre démarche a été, d'abord, de chercher à mieux comprendre les caractéristiques des données manipulées, à l'aide de corpus réels de messages, avant de proposer des nouveaux algorithmes. Puis, nous avons utilisé un classificateur à régression logistique avec de l'apprentissage actif en ligne - pour démontrer empiriquement qu'avec un algorithme simple et une configuration d'apprentissage mieux adaptée au contexte réel de classement, on peut obtenir des résultats aussi bons que ceux que l'on obtient avec des algorithmes plus complexes. Nous avons aussi démontré, avec des ensembles de messages d'un petit groupe d'utilisateurs, que la perte d'efficacité peut ne pas être significative dans un contexte de classement mutualisé.

<p>Title: Advertising message and Customer Satisfaction A case of Lidl Sweden</p><p>Problem: “Are the customers satisfied when they compare marketing message with services provided by Lidl grocery store?”</p><p>Purpose: We aim to analyze the satisfaction level of customers at Lidl store and how</p><p>effective messages delivered in the advertisement.</p><p>Method: We used a primary research through the interviews of the managers in Lidl, and</p><p>a survey questionnaire by the customers. We also used the secondary data from</p><p>the website of Lidl and some qualitative information from textbooks and</p><p>different sources.</p><p>Conclusion: After the research, we conclude that the advertising messages of Lidl is clear</p><p>and most of the customers feel satisfied with price and the quality of Lidl’s</p><p>products. However, about the non-food products, the customers do not feel so</p><p>pleasant and they do not have much knowledge about after sale services.</p>