The study investigated the use of mobile phones in disseminating information on agriculture to the farming community of Mashonaland West Province of Zimbabwe, with a view to improving the coverage gap created by the available initiatives. Relevant literature on the available and successful mobile phones agricultural information dissemination platforms were extensively reviewed, taking into consideration the Mashonaland West Province farmers’ information needs. Formats, channels and sources currently being used to transmit agricultural information to farmers were investigated. Barriers to the use of mobile phones in transmitting agricultural information were as well investigated. Data was gathered on the farmers’ access to mobile phones and ownership of mobile phones. The survey research methodology was used for data collection because the research involved a large sample in a widespread geographical area. Quantitative research approach was used and questionnaires were used for data collection. The respondents for the study comprised farmers, network providers and other agricultural stakeholders in the province. A sample of 384 farmers, and 13 network providers and other stakeholders participated in the survey. Quantitative data was analysed using the the SPSS software while the little qualitative data which was available was analysed through content analysis. The findings of the study indicated that farmers in Mashonaland West Province of Zimbabwe were willing to get updates on agricultural information via cell phones. However, majority of the farmers could not afford the high mobile data tariffs being charged by network service providers, and the costs of subscription charged by the available agricultural information dissemination platforms. The study mainly recommended that the government should establish mobile phone agricultural information dissemination platforms that can be accessed by farmers for free or that which will charge affordable rates. The study adds to the existing knowledge on how mobile phones can be used in disseminating agricultural information to farmers. / Information Science / D. Inf. (Information Science)

This report describes my work with developing a game for a gaming platform that enables hybrids between board games and computer games. My ambition has been to develop a game that takes advantage of the novel possibilities that this platform permits. Among those are to operate with a combination of the computer game traits of complexity in the games and ease of playing; as well as the board game / card game traits of combining social dynamics around a game session with ability to keep information hidden from other players. This is accomplished by a combination of mobile phones and a computer connected to the Internet. The screen of the computer will serve as board and the phones will display cards and other private information to the players, as well as functioning as the players' means for interaction with the game. The game developed, Wind Bugs, takes advantage of the complexity of game states that a computer easily can handle. Effort has been put into finding mechanics with a level of complexity while still implementing them in way that makes them both playable and enjoyable. Rather than focusing on immersion, which has become common in the design of computer games, hopes are that games for this platform, including the game developed in this project, will give room to social dynamics among the players. Though operating with the use of mobile phones, the platform will not support "mobile gaming"; the proposed setting is a group of players surrounding a big screen.

1 online resource (viii, 155 leaves) / This study explores the ways in which female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa use their cellular phones, as well as their interests and needs in using this technology. The findings in this study are therefore crucial to the body of knowledge on programmes that seek to uplift women's lives through the deployment of ICTs, since current policies do not make full provision for the use of mobile phones in female entrepreneurship. Information on female entrepreneurs and cellular phones was collected in the literature review. The scrutiny of various literature sources and the analysis of the responses from the interviews with the female entrepreneurs were carried out to arrive at answers to the following research questions: 1. Can telecommunications (specifically, cellular phones) increase the participation of women in the economy? 2. What are the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? 3. Are the communication needs of business women in Zambia and South Africa adequately met? 4. What are the obstacles that female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa face in the use of cellular phones? 5. What are the similarities and differences in the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? In order to gather information on the consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa, a survey was conducted of 100 female entrepreneurs. The female entrepreneurs identified in this survey consist of female business owners with no more than 50 employees each, from Gauteng Province in South Africa, and Lusaka Province in Zambia. The female entrepreneurs were identified through the accidental sampling technique, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information from them. The findings of the investigation reveal that cellular phones have the potential to increase the participation of women in mainstream economic activity, since they are a useful means of communication that allow women from diverse backgrounds to communicate easily for both business and social purposes. Accordingly, national policy-makers in South Africa and Zambia need to investigate further the potential of using cellular phone or similar technology to empower small-scale businesswomen. The investigation also shows that the cellular phone consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa differ when it comes to using cellular phones for business and social communication purposes. More Zambian women indicated that they use their cellular phones in business operations, while South African women showed a tendency to use their phones more for social purposes. The results of this investigation further illustrate that despite the importance in value which the mobile phone has for women entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa, the communication needs of women's entrepreneurship are not adequately met. The main obstacles in meeting the communication needs of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa are inadequate network coverage and high prices. The study shows that a number of women (52,2%) indicated that they are inhibited from effective communication services and therefore resort to borrowing other people's mobile phones. The lack of empirical studies on the use of telecommunications by female entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa attests to the fact that women's entrepreneurship is still an area that requires in-depth investigation. If various development efforts are to meet their targets, clearly the area of women's entrepreneurship and how various ICTs such as cellular phones are used therein needs urgent investigation. / Communication Sciences / M. A. (International Communication)

Poor health care delivery in rural communities is a major problem facing the health sector in Namibia. Patients who visit rural communities often wait on queues for several hours every day before they can be examined by a medical practitioner. This is detrimental to the health care process and impacts negatively on the efficiency and effectiveness of the sector. Mobile phones can however be employed as tools to improve work processes in such hospitals and as a result improve health care delivery in rural communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the health care services provided to patients at Outpatient Departments (OPDs) in rural hospitals through the use of data collection instruments such as interviews, questionnaires, document analysis, expert validation and photographs in order to compile a Mobile Health Service Framework (MHSF) to improve healthcare delivery processes in OPDs. From an interpretive paradigm perspective, the qualitative design was used together with a case study approach. Three hospitals in rural communities were used as case studies. These were Okuryangava Hospital, Katutura Hospital and Khomasdal Hospital. Interviews were conducted and questionnaires distributed to the participants. The findings revealed that there is a high concentration of mobile phone usage in rural communities and there is a high usage of the SMS feature on such mobile phones. / Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

The study was necessitated by the fact that the throughput rates of accounting students studying at distance learning institutions in South Africa are disturbingly low when compared to students studying at residential universities. Bearing in mind the magnitude of the University of South Africa’s (Unisa’s) market share of accounting students in South Africa, it was pivotal to comprehend the unique challenges related to retention and throughput of these students. This thesis reports on a case study of the use of mobile phones in an Accounting module by applying the theories of didactic conversation and transactional distance to understand the retention and throughput rates of the Accounting students in an open distance learning (ODL) environment. Considering the landscape of accounting education in South Africa, the specific challenges faced by accounting students at Unisa and the recent scholarly discourse on retention and throughput of distance education students, this study contributes to the limited theoretical understanding of students’ retention and throughput rates in an Accounting module at Unisa. This theoretical understanding has been obtained through combining the transactional distance theory of Moore (1973) and the didactic conversation of Holmberg (1982) in a single conceptual framework. By applying this framework, this thesis makes an original contribution to the deepening understanding of the retention and throughput rates of accounting students in an ODL environment. The study has shown that retention and throughput rates can be improved through the lessening of the transactional distance between facilitator and student and by improving the quality and extent of the two-way didactic conversation in the learning process. To this effect, the study provided empirical evidence of the successful use of various complementing technology interventions, suitable for accounting students with time constraints, to enhance the learning process. / Management Accounting / D. Com.

Bakgrund och problemdiskussion: Det råder en allmän oro rörande den fysiska butikens framtid. Ett paradigmskifte inom detaljhandeln innebär att den fysiska butiken, för att upprätthålla effektiva och lönsamma affärer, inte längre kan förlita sig på historiskt framgångsrika affärsmodeller och praxis. Istället anses teknik tillsammans med exceptionell service vara två av de viktigaste strategiska faktorerna, vilka kan komma att rädda den fysiska butikens existens. De företag som framgångsrikt lyckas konkurrera via tekniskt levererad service, kommer också långsiktigt att möta efterfrågan hos den digitala kunden. Syfte: Denna masteruppsats syftar till att undersöka vilken effekt som integrering av digitala tekniker i fysisk butik har på kundens upplevelse av butik. Studien ämnar även undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar förhållandet mellan kundens upplevelse av butik och digital teknik. Metod: Syftet uppfylls genom att studera en faktisk butik, där en digital teknik, Near Field Communication (NFC), integrerats. Studien är i den bemärkelsen en fallstudie. Vidare har en experimentell forskningsdesign av kvalitativ karaktär anammats, där den empiriska datan huvudsakligen grundar sig i semistrukturerade konsumentintervjuer. Slutsats: En stor majoritet av respondenterna ansåg att den testade tekniken kunde få dem att handla i fysisk butik oftare. Följaktligen påvisar integrering av digital teknik i fysisk butik en positiv effekt på kundens upplevelse av butik, där integrering och användning av NFC-tekniken möjliggör en höjning av kundens upplevelse. Resultatet påvisar vidare att faktorer som flexibilitet, effektivitet, tillgänglighet, valmöjligheter, bekvämlighet, upplevd tid och energi samt generationstillhörighet påverkar förhållandet mellan kundens upplevelse av butik och digital teknik. / Background and problem discussion: There is a general concern about the future of the physical store. A paradigm shift in retail means that the physical store, in order to maintain efficient and profitable business, can no longer rely on historically successful business models and practices. Instead, technology together with exceptional service is considered to be two of the most important strategic factors, which may save the physical store's existence. Purpose: This master thesis aims to investigate the effect that integration of digital technologies in the physical store have on the customer’s experience of the store. The study also aims to investigate which factors affect the relationship between the customer's experience of the store and digital technology. Method: The purpose is fulfilled by studying one actual store, where one digital technology, Near Field Communication (NFC), has been integrated. In this sense, the study is a case study. Furthermore, an experimental research design of a qualitative nature has been adopted, where the empirical data is mainly based on semi-structured consumer interviews. Conclusion: A large majority of respondents felt that the tested technology could make them shop in a physical store more often. Consequently, the integration of digital technology into the physical store demonstrates a positive effect on the customer's experience of the store, where integration and use of the NFC technology enables an increase in the customer's experience. The result also shows that factors such as flexibility, efficiency, availability, IV choice, convenience, perceived time and energy and generation affiliation affect the relationship between the customer's experience and digital technology.

本文試圖探究行動電話於當代普及所帶來的影響。一直以來，網際網路及隨之而生的「模控空間」都被看作是我們這個時代最重要的媒介與文化發展。然而，晚近十年間的電子媒介技術發展卻顯示出，行動電話已然成為網際網路之外同樣影響人們日常生活甚鉅的一種媒介。甚至，如同Howard Rheingold所指出的，它已逐漸地改變了我們當下與未來的生活形式。循此，簡言之，本文的目的即在於，試圖理解行動電話所帶來的是什麼樣的生活世界，以及這又是如何可能的？在回答此一問題時，本文所採取的基本理論觀點與分析架構乃是一種試圖超越過去技術決定論的新取徑。亦即，立基於「人─技術─世界」相互關連的關係性基礎上，本文主張，人們日常使用與操作技術的實作實際上總是展開於技術物所形塑的結構脈絡之中，同時，此一結構脈絡本身卻也是由人們的實作過程「有方法地」反身維繫與再建構的。換言之，本文將說明，實際上行動電話普及所帶來的影響不僅僅導因於技術特性的結構作用，同時也是人們日常實作持續建構與維繫的結果。 更清楚地說，在論文中我們指出了行動電話普及所導致的結構性變遷與影響為（1）由行動電話「水平嵌合」的延伸形式所帶來的「混雜實在」。也就是說，行動電話的使用者實際上是處於一種「雙面舞台」的情境之中。透過行動電話的中介，人們如今理所當然地將其脈絡視為是混雜交織著虛擬／物質、遠處／近在的指涉。（2）源自於行動電話「流動」的技術特性而逐漸形成的「即刻化時間」與「個人化社會空間」的時空框架。正是在這一轉變的時空框架中，浮現了本文稱之為「隨傳隨到的個人社群」的新形態人際關係樣態。而這些結構性的變遷與影響，在本文看來，同時也是人們日常實作持續「有方法地」完成、維繫與再生產的產物。以俗民方法學為基礎，本文回到實際日常使用與操作行動電話的實作過程中，探究人們是如何有方法地完成「打行動電話」的日常生活。例如，我們指出了「體現」與「轉譯」乃是人們操作行動電話理所當然地依賴著的方法；此外，由於「打行動電話」的實作仍「在」當下既存的互動場景之中，其完成也就有賴於「協同實作」的打造；人們的實作也顯示出，並不只是由於行動電話的技術特性與設計，更是因為人們總是有方法地管理、完成「打行動電話」的過程，人際之間的連結才呈現為「個人化即刻連繫」之樣態。 總之，藉由這些觀察與分析，本文試圖指出行動電話造就的「結構」實際上也是實作建構的產物。然而，雖然本文主張人們實際上參與了框限著自身的「結構」的建構，但這並不意味著人們就必然只能如此生存著。相反地，從「人─技術─世界」的相互關連來看，既然我們的日常生活並非單純由「技術」所決定的、既然我們的生存樣態同樣也取決於自身的「實作」，本文在最後試圖說明的便是，我們也就總是有著「不必然如此」的可能性。藉由三個案例的呈現，本文說明了「多元」的行動電話使用與操作實作如何可能。些實作並不是意圖正面對抗、顛覆既那些與行動電話實作相關的既有「常識」與「預設」，但在其迴避、繞道、偏離與走出的各種形式中，我們卻能清楚地看到實際行動電話的使用與操作中，如何不斷地逾越了既有的軌跡與秩序。換言之，回過頭來，本文試圖說明的是，「理解」行動電話同時也意味著我們必須要在各種「捨」與「得」的權衡之中做出選擇。在每一刻的行動電話操作實作之中，我們不僅選擇了如何完成當下的秩序，同時也選擇了走向什麼樣的「行動未來」。這不僅是「如何生活」──亦即，如何使用行動電話的選擇──的問題，同時也是關於「如何存在」──亦即，在更根本的層次上成為什麼樣的存有──的反思。 / This thesis attempts to discuss the impacts brought by the prevalence of mobile phones. Although the Internet and the cyberspace have been thought as the most important media and cultural development of our age, the progress of the electronic media in recent decade has showed that mobile phones have also brought important structural changes in our life. Accordingly, what we want to understand is how mobile phones have changed our life world. In response to this question, the thesis adopts a new approach which goes beyond the traditional technological determinism. That is, based on the interrelationship of the “human-technics-world”, it proposes that the everyday technological practices always unfold in the context structured by our technics, and the structured context itself is also, at the same time, constructed reflexively by user’s technological practices. First, the thesis indicates the structural changes brought by mobile phones as follows: (1) the “hybrid reality” emerging from the extending and mediation of mobile phones; (2) the “immediatization of time” and the “individualization of social space” resulted from the widespread use of mobile phones. Second, based on ethnomethodology, we explore how the user accomplishes the everyday “using” of the mobile phone skillfully and reflexively. The investigation shows that, for example, (1) the user, while using the mobile phone, depends upon the methods of “embodiment” and “translation”, and takes them for granted; (2) the accomplishments of the using practices actually are the products of the “cooperation” between the user and the members at the scene because the user is still “in” the present situation; (3) the using practices also show that the “individualized and immediatized connection” which emerges as the figure of our interpersonal relationship is not only due to the technical characteristics of mobile phones, but also the product of user’s skillful using practices. Third, although the thesis advocates that the everyday using practices reflexively construct the structural changes which in turn shape the practices themselves, it also attempts to point out that we still have the possibility of transgressing the given structural constraints. We explicate, by three cases, how different and multiple ways of mobile phone using are possible. These “variant practices” do not represent the opposition and the subversion of the given structure shaped by mobile phones, but indicate that we still could choose different ways of using, and different kinds of life.

Zugl.: Zürich, University, Diss., 2006/2007.

1 online resource (viii, 155 leaves) / This study explores the ways in which female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa use their cellular phones, as well as their interests and needs in using this technology. The findings in this study are therefore crucial to the body of knowledge on programmes that seek to uplift women's lives through the deployment of ICTs, since current policies do not make full provision for the use of mobile phones in female entrepreneurship. Information on female entrepreneurs and cellular phones was collected in the literature review. The scrutiny of various literature sources and the analysis of the responses from the interviews with the female entrepreneurs were carried out to arrive at answers to the following research questions: 1. Can telecommunications (specifically, cellular phones) increase the participation of women in the economy? 2. What are the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? 3. Are the communication needs of business women in Zambia and South Africa adequately met? 4. What are the obstacles that female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa face in the use of cellular phones? 5. What are the similarities and differences in the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? In order to gather information on the consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa, a survey was conducted of 100 female entrepreneurs. The female entrepreneurs identified in this survey consist of female business owners with no more than 50 employees each, from Gauteng Province in South Africa, and Lusaka Province in Zambia. The female entrepreneurs were identified through the accidental sampling technique, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information from them. The findings of the investigation reveal that cellular phones have the potential to increase the participation of women in mainstream economic activity, since they are a useful means of communication that allow women from diverse backgrounds to communicate easily for both business and social purposes. Accordingly, national policy-makers in South Africa and Zambia need to investigate further the potential of using cellular phone or similar technology to empower small-scale businesswomen. The investigation also shows that the cellular phone consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa differ when it comes to using cellular phones for business and social communication purposes. More Zambian women indicated that they use their cellular phones in business operations, while South African women showed a tendency to use their phones more for social purposes. The results of this investigation further illustrate that despite the importance in value which the mobile phone has for women entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa, the communication needs of women's entrepreneurship are not adequately met. The main obstacles in meeting the communication needs of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa are inadequate network coverage and high prices. The study shows that a number of women (52,2%) indicated that they are inhibited from effective communication services and therefore resort to borrowing other people's mobile phones. The lack of empirical studies on the use of telecommunications by female entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa attests to the fact that women's entrepreneurship is still an area that requires in-depth investigation. If various development efforts are to meet their targets, clearly the area of women's entrepreneurship and how various ICTs such as cellular phones are used therein needs urgent investigation. / Communication Sciences / M. A. (International Communication)

The study was necessitated by the fact that the throughput rates of accounting students studying at distance learning institutions in South Africa are disturbingly low when compared to students studying at residential universities. Bearing in mind the magnitude of the University of South Africa’s (Unisa’s) market share of accounting students in South Africa, it was pivotal to comprehend the unique challenges related to retention and throughput of these students. This thesis reports on a case study of the use of mobile phones in an Accounting module by applying the theories of didactic conversation and transactional distance to understand the retention and throughput rates of the Accounting students in an open distance learning (ODL) environment. Considering the landscape of accounting education in South Africa, the specific challenges faced by accounting students at Unisa and the recent scholarly discourse on retention and throughput of distance education students, this study contributes to the limited theoretical understanding of students’ retention and throughput rates in an Accounting module at Unisa. This theoretical understanding has been obtained through combining the transactional distance theory of Moore (1973) and the didactic conversation of Holmberg (1982) in a single conceptual framework. By applying this framework, this thesis makes an original contribution to the deepening understanding of the retention and throughput rates of accounting students in an ODL environment. The study has shown that retention and throughput rates can be improved through the lessening of the transactional distance between facilitator and student and by improving the quality and extent of the two-way didactic conversation in the learning process. To this effect, the study provided empirical evidence of the successful use of various complementing technology interventions, suitable for accounting students with time constraints, to enhance the learning process. / Management Accounting / D. Com.