Digital divide research has recently begun to address the functional gaps between Internet-connected technologies, specifically mobile and wired devices. This study uses nationally representative survey data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project to address this area of research and explores how smartphone-dependence compared to multi-modal access impacts Internet use among key demographic groups including race, sex, age, income, and education. This study also explores how demographic characteristics and smartphone use interact to affect reliance on smartphones and perceptions of the utility of mobile devices. Results show that race, sex, age, income, and education, exhibit different rates of smartphone-dependence, and also perform different online activities with their smartphones. Minorities and younger users are more likely to be smartphone-dependent and multi-modal users suggesting that these demographic groups are adopting mobile Internet technologies faster than Whites and older individuals. Minorities also use smartphones for more news and information activities than Whites, which contradicts traditional usage gap predictions.

In the age of the risk society, when several actors at an international, national, and local level converge in order to find solutions that help mitigate the global effects of natural disasters, there is a need to study the patterns for communicating and interacting with the public that eventually feel the impact of crises. In the richer parts of the world ICTs have facilitated a framework for having instant information regarding threats that make crisis management a discipline that is centered more in preparing and planning, rather than mitigating actual crises.  In developing countries, the contextual idiosyncrasies of each nation provide a fragmented array of settings that prevents a rapid flow of information in the event of natural disasters. The phenomenal growth of mobile telephony use and its rapid diffusion in developing countries offers a game changing scenario where crisis managers could benefit from new applications and functionalities of mobile devices. In a confluence of multidisciplinary nature, this study aims to explore the role of mobile technology and internet in crisis management, as well as the state of accessibility of mobile technology when addressing the general public in Ghana. This study follows a three-pronged approach with the aim of answering its research questions. First, a qualitative study of the communication processes between crisis managers and the public and the role of mobile technologies during those processes. Second, a quantitative study of the uses of mobile internet and the current mobile internet infrastructure. Finally, a study on the accessibility level of Ghana’s national crisis management organization’s website. Several conclusions can be drawn from this study. Mobile technologies have an important role in the communication process of crisis managers and the public, however the use of internet still has no part in the flows of communication due to deficits in infrastructure and socio-economic factors, leading to a disconnection between international risk policy requirements and local needs. The lack of resources is seen as the biggest challenge for crisis managers; a challenge that leads to issues of trust in the public and non-compliance. Finally, while there have been improvements in accessibility efforts, there is still a wide gap between international web accessibility best practices and the one provided by authorities in Ghana.

Is There an App for That? The Usage of Mobile Technology for the Purposes of Teaching Health Education in Grade 4 and 5. Wahid Khan. Master of Arts. Curriculum, Teaching and Learning. University of Toronto. Year of Convocation: 2014. The use of mobile devices in elementary schools has steadily increased in the last few years. These mobile devices harness many tools that can help teachers teach classroom material and help students become better students academically. The research question was “How can mobile devices be used to teach health education?” Research was conducted in a grade 4 and 5 classroom to see which mobile apps worked best among teachers and students in conveying health education. Anecdotal notes and daily journaling over a two-month period documented how the students enjoyed playing games and also how engaged they were when they subsequently used the devices for non-gaming purposes. It is still unknown how well these apps conveyed messages of health. How the mobile apps are being used in the classroom and the content inside the mobile apps largely dictates the messages they can convey to the students.

The thesis is dealing with possibilities of m-learning in further education of pedagogical employees at schools of all levels. The author of the thesis explores the basis of findings from expert literature, what possibilities mobile technologies offer in further education of pedagogical employees and which of these technologies pedagogues use most. The author also points out the advantages, the disadvantages and the barriers, which have impact on using mobile products in further education. The thesis includes the research which factors have impact on m-learning in further education of pedagogical employees. In the final part of the thesis the author sums up all her findings and gives recommendations for educational practice.

This Master thesis deals with mobile technologies used for teaching and for management of schools. The theoretical part attempts to define the phenomenon of m- technologies and specifies both the determinate forms and the effects of the innovation when applied to education. The research portion carried out at primary schools by way of a qualitative survey and an interview examines the degree of readiness and the extent of the use of m-technologies with regard to the constructed school infrastructure and to the professional skill of teachers associated with it. Management of a school will get valuable information about the risks related to the introduction of the new technology and, in form of a guide, it will learn how to prepare a project and what to follow while creating the appropriate infrastructure at a school.

This Master thesis deals with mobile technologies used for teaching and for management of schools. The theoretical part attempts to define the phenomenon of m-technologies and specifies both its determinate forms and its effects when applied to education. The research portion carried out at primary schools by way of a qualitative survey examines the state of m-technologies used at elementary schools and the degree of engagement of the school headmasters and ICT specialists (respondents). It presents an example of a positive experience in the use of m-technologies at schools in the video study. The Master thesis includes a guide of the m-technologies used at schools.

Les études empiriques sur les technologies mobiles dans le cadre de l'éducation sont rares. Selon la revue de la littérature, différentes études théoriques critiquent les modèles actuels d'acceptation et d'adoption de la technologie mais peu d'études ont été menées sur le terrain. Il existe également peu de données empiriques sur la stratégie de l’université en matière d’adoption et de mise en œuvre de la technologie mobile. Nos propres recherches confirment le manque de telles études empiriques, en particulier en ce qui concerne les réponses des utilisateurs à la technologie mobile et leurs stratégies d'adaptation. De plus, la revue de la littérature suggère un manque de consensus théorique sur l'adaptation de la technologie mobile dans l'éducation. La théorie montre que l'éducation a besoin d'une vision holistique de l'adoption de la technologie mobile et de la recherche de ses différents aspects et composants. L’objectif de notre recherche est de comprendre la stratégie de l'université pour adopter et mettre en œuvre la technologie mobile. Cette recherche se structure autour de deux questions principales : Pourquoi la technologie mobile est-elle utilisée dans l’enseignement supérieur ? (au niveau stratégique) Comment la technologie mobile est-elle utilisée dans l’enseignement supérieur ? Cette thèse est une recherche exploratoire. Afin de laisser la théorie émerger des résultats empiriques, cette thèse est inspirée de la théorie enracinée. Au total, deux études de cas ont été menées. Deux écoles d'ingénieur françaises ont été choisies comme nos terrains de recherche. Première étude de cas réalisée par observation directe pendent 6 mois dans une école d'ingénieur A (1155 heures d’observations) comprenant 193 étudiants et 88 enseignants. Deuxième étude de cas réalisée par observation directe pendant 4 mois dans une école d'ingénieur B (704 heures d’observations) comprenant 115 étudiants et 29 enseignants. De plus, 15 entretiens semi-directifs ont été réalisés avec des professeurs en charge du projet de la technologie mobile, le directeur de l’université, le directeur du département et le personnel informatique et administratif. Toutes les données ont été codées et analysées. Au cours de cette recherche, nous avons constamment comparé nos résultats, les données codées, les incidents émergents et les concepts émergents pour générer des catégories et les comparer avec les résultats des terrains de recherche. Les apports principaux peuvent être classés en quatre catégories : Utilisation de la technologie mobile (selon les réponses des étudiants et des enseignants). Une analyse des perceptions du participant sur la technologie mobile adoptée. Une analyse des activités d'adaptation des participants (relatif à TI, aux tâches et l’individu) et trois phases du processus d'adaptation (au niveau individuel, organisationnel et du groupe). Une étude de la stratégie principale de l’université vers l’adoption de la technologie mobile et des moyens engagés pour soutenir les changements en vue de l'appropriation de la technologie mobile. En conclusion nous préconisons des implications managériales et théoriques et différents axes de recherche qui pourraient être développés ultérieurement en vue d’affiner le travail réalisé pour cette thèse et aussi afin de tester et généraliser les résultats aujourd'hui obtenus. / Empirical studies of mobile technology in education are scarce. According to the literature review, different theoretical studies criticizing the current models of technology acceptance and adoption are seeking for changes, but not many research works have been conducted in the field. There are few empirical data about the university’s strategy in adoption and implementation of mobile technology as well.This research confirms the lack of such empirical studies, especially regarding user’s responses to mobile technology and their adaptation strategies in education. Hence, more rigorous research is needed to understand the perceptions and adaptation process of university’ participants. Furthermore, the literature review suggests a lack of theoretical consensus on adaptation of mobile technology in education.Theory shows that the education needs a holistic view of mobile technology adoption and investigation of its different aspects and components. Few research works were conducted in investigating a whole organizational implementation.This dissertation aims at understanding the strategy of university for adopting and implementing the mobile technology.This research is articulated around two main research questions:• Why is mobile technology used in higher education? (at the strategic level)• How is mobile technology used in higher education?This study is an exploratory research in order to allow the theory to emerge from the empirical results and this research is inspired from the Grounded Theory.In total, two case studies were conducted. Two French engineering universities were selected as our fields of study:• First case study is carried out during a 6-month direct observation at engineering university A (equal to 1155 hours) including 193 students and 88 faculty members.• Second case study is carried out during a 4-month direct observation at engineering university B (equal to 704 hours) including 115 students and 29 faculty members.In addition, 15 semi-directive interviews were conducted with professors in charge of mobile technology project, the university’ director, head of the department as well as IT and administrative staff. All data were coded and analyzed.During this research, we constantly compared our findings and the coded data to the emerging incidents and to the emerging concepts with the purpose of generating categories and comparing with the findings acquired from the fields of research.The main contributions can be classified into four categories:• Utilization of mobile technology (according to students, faculty members use),• An analysis of the participant’s perceptions of the adopted mobile technology• An analysis of participant’s coping activities (IT related, Task related and self-related) and three phases of adaptation process (individual, organizational, and group level)• A study of the main university’s strategy towards the adoption of mobile technology and how far it supports changes towards mobile technology appropriation.The conclusion brings managerial implications, theoretical implications and some recommendations for further studies in order to deepen the research and to answer several hypotheses issued from our results.

The aim of this thesis is an analysis of possible ways how to use mobile technologies for accessing online data sources (e.g.. web pages). The practical part is based on a study of the web presentation of O2 Active portal of Telefonica Czech Republic, a.s. with accent to the mobile version. Based on this I prepared a design and functional proposal of new mobile web presentation/site of University of Economics Faculty of Management in Jindřichův Hradec and it includes all new trends and takes in to consideration current web analytics of university's web portal.

Diante das possibilidades que são oferecidas pelas tecnologias móveis, das intenções de uso que os indivíduos idealizam nas mesmas, e das realidades organizacionais peculiares, no momento das práticas e experiências de uso, podem surgir conflitos entre usuário e tecnologia. Ou seja, ao mesmo tempo em que a evolução das tecnologias traz o progresso elas criam paradoxos sociais que desafiam as pessoas nas esferas pessoal e social. Esta tese busca responder ao seguinte problema de pesquisa: Como os paradoxos de uso da tecnologia móvel se manifestam nas práticas sócio-materiais dos gestores de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior? Como objetivos específicos busca-se: a) Identificar o perfil de uso de tecnologia móvel dos gestores; b) Investigar os diferentes contextos móveis criados pelos usuários de tecnologia móvel advindos das práticas sócio-materiais de uso; c) Descrever as manifestações dos paradoxos de uso da tecnologia móvel vivenciadas pelos usuários; d) Identificar as estratégias criadas pelos usuários para gerenciar os paradoxos de uso da tecnologia móvel. Por meio de uma pesquisa qualitativa realizou-se um estudo de caso na Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), uma Instituição de Ensino Superior (IES). Foram realizadas 28 entrevistas em duas etapas com 19 gestores, Diretores e Coordenadores Acadêmicos, da Instituição. Complementou-se a coleta de dados com observações diretas realizadas em reunião dos gestores. Foi possível identificar na Unipampa uma cultura de uso da tecnologia móvel, mais especificamente com relação ao notebook, parecendo haver uma regra implícita de que este deve ser carregado para todas as reuniões de trabalho, principalmente para aquelas que envolvem o deslocamento de uma cidade para outra. Aliado a isto, verifica-se um intenso uso do e-mail, indicando que a Unipampa é uma organização “dirigida” pelo e-mail. Os relatos indicam que o ritmo do trabalho se dá pelo fluxo de e-mails trocados entre as equipes, em que a condução dos tempos das demandas, acaba por vezes sobrecarregando os gestores. Os variados contextos móveis que emergiram neste estudo revelam que os gestores criam e recriam estes contextos de acordo com seus ritmos e preferências, os quais vão guiar as práticas de uso da tecnologia móvel. Os contextos móveis criados pelos gestores evidenciam que aqueles acontecem, principalmente, em função da intenção do usuário em “encurtar” ou “alongar” o tempo, dado o envolvimento do usuário nas tarefas. Constatou-se que grande parte dos paradoxos são sentidos independentemente do uso da tecnologia móvel ser o notebook ou o smartphone, mas sim em função do e-mail. Este passa a ser então o determinante para a formação de contextos móveis a partir das diferentes práticas sóciomateriais de uso, revelando assim que, os paradoxos não são somente característicos da tecnologia móvel em si, mas sim da ferramenta de comunicação e-mail. A maioria das estratégias busca lidar com o paradoxo Liberdade X Escravidão, em que o conflito entre estar livre, porém, sempre disponível e conectável para as pessoas parece ser o mais combatido. Este conflito é gerenciado por meio de estratégias de resistência como distanciamento, ignorar, suspensão, negligência, ou refutar a tecnologia móvel. / Given the possibilities that are offered by mobile technologies, the intentions of individuals who use the same idealize, and organizational realities at the time of the practices and experiences of use, conflicts may arise between users and technology. That is, while the evolution of technology brings progress they create social paradoxes that challenge people in personal and social spheres. This thesis aims to answer the following research problem: How the paradoxical use of mobile technology is manifested in the sociomaterial practices of managers in a Higher Education Institution? Specific objectives aims to: a) identify the usage profile of mobile technology managers; b) Investigate the different mobile contexts created by users of mobile technology arising from sociomaterial practices of use; c) Describe the manifestations paradoxes of the use of mobile technology experienced by users; d) Identify the strategies created by users to manage the paradoxes of use of mobile technology. Using a qualitative study we performed a case study at the Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA), a Higher Education Institution (HEI). Twenty eight interviews were conducted in two stages with 19 managers, Directors and Academic Coordinators, of the Institution. We complemented the collection of data with direct observations made at a meeting of managers. It was possible to identify a mobile technology use culture in the Unipampa, specifically to notebook, there seems to be an unwritten rule that it must be loaded for all meetings, especially for those involving the displacement from one city to another. Also, there is an intensive use of e-mail, indicating that Unipampa an organization is “directed” by e-mail. Reports indicate that the pace of work is given by the flow of e-mails exchanged between the teams, in which the driving demands of the times, just sometimes overloading managers. The various mobile contexts that emerged in this study reveal that managers create and recreate these settings according to your preferences and rhythms, which will guide the practices of use of mobile technology. The mobile contexts created by managers show that those happen, mainly as a function of user intent to “shorten” or “lengthen” the time given user involvement in tasks. It was found that most of the paradoxes are felt regardless of the use of mobile technology to be the notebook or smartphone, but according to the email. This then becomes the determining factor for the formation of mobile contexts from different sociomaterial practices of use, thus revealing that the paradoxes are not only characteristic of mobile technology itself but the communication tool email. Most search strategies to deal with the paradox Freedom X Slavement in the conflict between being free, however, always available and connectable to the people seems to be the most fought. This conflict is managed through strategies of resistance as distance, ignore, suspension, neglect, or refute mobile technology.

BACKGROUND: In 2009, the Government of the Republic of Vietnam adopted legislation requiring all clinicians to complete continuing medical education (CME) credits in order to maintain licensure. Several CME in-person and distance-based courses have been developed and as of 2015, a national distance-based electronic learning (eLearning) network was being established. However, the uptake of CME courses remained low despite high clinician demand. Vietnam’s high mobile phone ownership rate of 1.4 mobile subscriptions per person presents an opportunity to leverage this for CME. This study investigated how mobile technologies could strengthen delivery of distance-based CME courses and improve national CME program administration. METHODS: A literature and policy review was conducted. Qualitative methods were employed to collect and analyze key informant interviews of 52 global and Vietnamese experts, including selected policy makers. Interviews were supplemented by six focus group discussions with Vietnamese physicians, nurses, midwives and physician assistants. Transcripts were analyzed using an inductive coding methodology. A framework was developed to organize and present results for government consumption. RESULTS: Globally, examples and supporting evidence related to mobile technologies for CME were limited. Experts reported three main use cases for using mobile technology for CME in Vietnam: 1) delivery of CME courses (N=34; 65%); 2) registration and tracking of CME credits (n=28; 54%); and 3) sending alerts and reminders on CME opportunities (n=23; 44%). The national CME policy environment in Vietnam was supportive of introducing mobile technologies within the eLearning network. However, there was a widespread lack of awareness and capacity to design and deliver distance-based CME courses. Mobile phone ownership was high and health workers reported interest in acquiring CME credits via mobile. Financing options to develop and implement distance-based CME courses were limited. CONCLUSION: Despite the paucity of evidence related to mobile technologies for learning, there is potential to innovate and strengthen the evidence base using these technologies for CME in Vietnam. Introducing mobile technologies within the national eLearning network would improve clinicians’ access to CME, particularly in rural areas, and can strengthen national CME program administration. Key recommendations were developed to provide the government with concrete steps for national level adoption.