Thesis advisor: Karen Arnold / Traditional aged college students currently enrolled at institutions of higher education have never known a time without technology and through social media, can interact and engage with one another regardless of physical space. Technology provides fast, easy, efficient, and constant means of communication, and students use social media while simultaneously engaging in campus activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student use of socially interactive technology (SIT) and engagement and involvement in the undergraduate experience. Social media included in this study refers to cell phones, text messaging, Instant Messaging, email, and social networking sites (SNS). Borrowing items from the Net Generation Survey and the National Study for Student Engagement (NSSE) an instrument was created to analyze time dedicated to technology, use by demographics, technology as a predictor student of engagement, as well as qualitative data. Results from 154 participants show that students use technology for approximately eight hours per day, male students in the sample are overrepresented at the lowest levels of social media use, and social media types are correlated with one another. Following a factor analysis on the independent technology items and the dependent engagement items, regression analyses were employed to explore this relationship. Qualitative data illustrate that technology use can distract students from academic activities, and limits interpersonal communication. Conversely, it is beneficial in that students are constantly updated on class discussions, campus events, and with peers and family. Given these findings, because of students' frequent use of technology while engaged or involved in campus activities, concerns regarding the quality of these experiences are discussed. Additionally, redefining the traditional meaning of campus involvement is appropriate. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to advance an understanding of trust and perceived intrusiveness in online advertising. The theoretical framework in this thesis is based upon theories about trust and intrusiveness that derives from previous research. The theory of psychological reactance is a further constituent. These concepts and theories are defined and discussed. and possible models are introduced. Semi-structured interviews with eight individuals of the Net Generation have been conducted to gather empirical data. The recordings from these interviews have thereafter been transcribed. in order to analyse the collected data, we have adopted a thematic analysis consisting of six phases. We coded the data and created themes that were detected during the different phases. The empirical data has been gathered by conduction of eight semi-structured interviews with individuals of the Net Generation. These interview have thereafter been transcribed and its content coded as a first step of the analysis. Three global themes derived from the empirical data analysis; trust, intrusiveness and observed relations, and many basic themes defined and analysed and discussed. We conclude our study advancing our findings about an understanding of trust and perceived intrusiveness in online advertising, as well as some observed relations noticed during the analysis. We finish our thesis with some managerial implications about the importance for managers and advertisers to take into account trust and intrusiveness, as well as leads for further studies, including the testing of our developed research model through a quantitative strategy.

Younger learners are widely considered to be technologically savvy and computer literate because of their lifelong exposure to ubiquitous technology. Educators often rely on that assumption to justify changes to institutional curricula, technology initiatives, new classroom strategies, and calls for educators to meet the educational demands of the younger generation. This study examines the computer literacy skills of Net Generation Learners (NGLs). This dissertation is composed of a systematic literature review, an examination of learner computer literacy skills prior to completing a college level course, and an investigation of the effects of different types of instruction on learner computer literacy skills. In the systematic literature review, identified studies focused primarily on learner familiarity with emerging technologies and relied heavily on self-reported data. Few studies directly measured learner computer literacy skills, and none compared the skills of NGLs and non-NGLs. A causal-comparative examination of learner computer literacy skills prior to a college level computer literacy course found that both NGLs and non-NGLs exhibited inadequate computer literacy skill. A 1-way ANOVA indicated NGLs performed significantly better than non-NGLs on a computer literacy skills assessment; however, examining learner age as a continuous variable via regression yielded different results. There may be validity to claims regarding the comparative computer proficiency of NGLs to non-NGLs, but the level of skill exhibited by learners does not warrant calls for radical educational changes, and the imprecision of arbitrarily defining age as a dichotomous variable produces potentially erroneous results. The effect of type of instruction on learner computer literacy skills was explored. Based on the results in this study, direct instruction focused on a comprehensive scope of computer literacy skills better supports learner acquisition of skills than does informal instruction or instruction focused on a limited range of skills. Future research should use statistical methods that analyze age as a continuous variable while continuing to examine directly the comparative computer literacy skills of NGLs and non-NGLs at all levels of education. Further inquiry into the effectiveness of different types of instruction to support learner acquisition of computer literacy skills should also be conducted.

Purpose: The report investigates the manner in which spaces are currently designed and provided for learning in the context of higher education institutions, and whether these designs take into account the technology available for use in an educational environment. It therefore looks at the impact that these spaces have on the learning process and the related ability of planners to provide the necessary spaces for teaching, in relation to the context of a technologically enhanced teaching environment. Design/methodology/approach: A review of current literature is used to establish what types of spaces should be provided for teaching with technology in line with what is being done in universities abroad. Case studies of three universities will be used to gather data on the current trend in terms of the actual provision of space in universities. Interviews will be conducted with the participants of the case studies. Findings: Once the case studies are complete, data will be analysed to assess how well the selected universities are doing in terms of providing space that is suitable for the latest technology that is used in the field of education. Practical implications: In evaluating the spaces provided and the technology available, it will become apparent if the spaces provided are indeed relevant in terms of the technological world we live in. Originality/value: Most of the current research documented in the literature examines technology and how it influences learning space design. As such, this report compares these concepts with the reality of space provision in universities today and questions the relevance of Space Norms in the age of E-learning. Limitations: The report is limited to an investigation into Gauteng HEIs. Technology investigated is limited to types that are useful to teaching and is not an exhaustive range of technology available in the world. Spaces referred to are education spaces only. Institutions investigated are limited to face-to-face HEIs which are public institutions.

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die These über die Existenz von Digital Natives. Die Vertreter dieser These postulieren, dass Studenten und Schüler durch den frühen Kontakt mit Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien hinsichtlich ihres Lern-, Arbeits- und Kommunikationsverhaltens wesentlich verändert wurden. Um diese Aussage zu bewerten, werden Erfahrungen mit Virtual Collaborative Learning Veranstaltungen herangezogen. Die aktuellste durchgeführte Veranstaltung wird als Fallstudie vorgestellt und analysiert.

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die These über die Existenz von Digital Natives. Die Vertreter dieser These postulieren, dass Studenten und Schüler durch den frühen Kontakt mit Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien hinsichtlich ihres Lern-, Arbeits- und Kommunikationsverhaltens wesentlich verändert wurden. Um diese Aussage zu bewerten, werden Erfahrungen mit Virtual Collaborative Learning Veranstaltungen herangezogen. Die aktuellste durchgeführte Veranstaltung wird als Fallstudie vorgestellt und analysiert.

Purpose The purpose of this thesis is, looking from a consumer’s perspective, to investigate the influences of students website selection Background Today’s students are a new generation of consumers. They have been brought up with digi-tal media and have different attitudes towards marketing than their parents. Most market management theories were created before the digital revolution. Students are tomorrow’s high income consumers. It is valuable for companies to understand how these consumers orientate themselves on the internet and how to best reach them. Method An exploratory/explanatory deductive study to map what websites students use, how the websites are found and why they are used was conducted. The empirical findings were col-lected through group interviews. Conclusion Students have a very habitual behavior on the internet. They use some of the internet’s largest brands. Each website offers a niche and specialized service, presented in a simple and interactive manner. Students choose one website for each specific service. As the in-ternet is large with a lot of information they have a cluster of chore websites visited on a regular basis. From that base, students use friends and search engines to navigate them-selves to the destinations of their choice. Advertisement offer more trust than enticement to actually visit the sites.

There is a growing call for more skilled workers-especially in the scarce skills of science, engineering and technology (SET). The current educational system is failing to address these issues, learners are being ill-prepared to cope with the demands of a society that has moved on; and learners are being prepared for a society that no longer exists in practice. In order to address this problem, this thesis calls for a greater emphasis on issues of digital inclusion, integration of whole communities, understanding of the dynamics of integrating ICTs into the classroom, exploring opportunities for the expansion of rapid-prototyping at school level and the promotion of digital literacy. Though this is not a definitive list, the researcher has developed working solutions to each of these issues, as presented in five journal articles. Investigations were conducted in the Tshwane area with male and female learners in both primary and secondary schools. The selection of the learners from both advantaged and disadvantaged institutions was left to the teachers. Design research was the main methodology adopted for this research. The investigations started in 200'1 and the bulk of the work was concluded between 2007-2010. Greater emphasis is placed on a qualitative approach with limited quantitative analysis. The findings of this research indicate the need to extend the scope of the investigation and to massify the different interventions. The pedagogical shift has been away from information transfer, towards using information communication technologies to promote creativity and innovation in a stimulating constructivist environment This has led to an opportunity to track learner involvement in SET events over their school careers and to identify talented individuals. In addition, the findings indicate that there is little difference between learners from advantaged and disadvantaged communities. Added to this is the development of a solution to address the digital divide through the creation of virtual interactive classrooms which can digitally include learners from geographically separated classrooms in remote communities. The strategic importance of ICTs, creativity and innovation are key components of a Human Capital Development strategy, especially at a time when there is a growing shortage of scarce skills in key areas. Post Grade 12 interventions are short term solutions that are not sustainable. This thesis calls for the establishment of a SET pipeline from grassroots level, in order to grow the feeder stock for a national system of innovation as a long-term investment in the future. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

There is a growing call for more skilled workers-especially in the scarce skills of science, engineering and technology (SET). The current educational system is failing to address these issues, learners are being ill-prepared to cope with the demands of a society that has moved on; and learners are being prepared for a society that no longer exists in practice. In order to address this problem, this thesis calls for a greater emphasis on issues of digital inclusion, integration of whole communities, understanding of the dynamics of integrating ICTs into the classroom, exploring opportunities for the expansion of rapid-prototyping at school level and the promotion of digital literacy. Though this is not a definitive list, the researcher has developed working solutions to each of these issues, as presented in five journal articles. Investigations were conducted in the Tshwane area with male and female learners in both primary and secondary schools. The selection of the learners from both advantaged and disadvantaged institutions was left to the teachers. Design research was the main methodology adopted for this research. The investigations started in 200'1 and the bulk of the work was concluded between 2007-2010. Greater emphasis is placed on a qualitative approach with limited quantitative analysis. The findings of this research indicate the need to extend the scope of the investigation and to massify the different interventions. The pedagogical shift has been away from information transfer, towards using information communication technologies to promote creativity and innovation in a stimulating constructivist environment This has led to an opportunity to track learner involvement in SET events over their school careers and to identify talented individuals. In addition, the findings indicate that there is little difference between learners from advantaged and disadvantaged communities. Added to this is the development of a solution to address the digital divide through the creation of virtual interactive classrooms which can digitally include learners from geographically separated classrooms in remote communities. The strategic importance of ICTs, creativity and innovation are key components of a Human Capital Development strategy, especially at a time when there is a growing shortage of scarce skills in key areas. Post Grade 12 interventions are short term solutions that are not sustainable. This thesis calls for the establishment of a SET pipeline from grassroots level, in order to grow the feeder stock for a national system of innovation as a long-term investment in the future. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

There are many names or labels which refer to the generation growing up with digital media and these include labels such as ‘Net Generation’ (Tapscott, 1998), ‘digital natives’ (Prensky, 2001), ‘cyberkids’ (Holloway, 2003) and ‘MySpacegeneration’ (Rosen, 2008). The core idea behind these labels is that young people who have grown up surrounded by digital technology are very different to previous generations in their way of using and even thinking about the new digital technology. This appears to be reinforcing a generational divide and makes the assumption that young people can be categorized into one group in relation to their use of ICTs. The approach in this thesis is to empirically explore, in order to nuance, some of these presumptions about the ‘Net Generation’ (defined according to Tapscott). Thus, the research question is: How can the presumptions about the ‘Net Generation’ be nuanced? The following three presumptions have been explored within the three papers included in the thesis: i) The ‘Net Generation’ diverges from previous generations in relation to the use of internet; ii) The ‘Net Generation’ is techno-savvy or digitally competent; iii) The digitally competent ‘Net Geners’ are also digital participants since there is a causal relationship between digital competence and digital participation. The explorations are conducted by using the theoretical concepts ‘digital skills’, ‘self-efficacy’ and ‘participatory culture’. Several hypotheses,deduced from previous research, have been tested on a national representative sample of people born between the years 1978 and 1997 (categorised as the ‘Net Generation’). The results show that ‘Net Geners’ internet usage is diversified;hence, it is simplified to talk about them as a homogeneous group. Those included in the categorisation have different opportunities to participate in the digital society. Their internet usage differs both in terms of how much time they spend and what they do online. Their digital skills and self-efficacy in the use of computers are also different and so is the perceived feeling of participation in the information society. This implies that the ‘Net Geners’ do not have equal conditions in relation to participation in the digital society. However, what is meant by participation is still an unresolved question which requires further exploration. / SAMMANDRAG Idag beskrivs ofta generationen som vuxit upp med internet och digitala medier i termer av att vara en ”internetgeneration” (Tapscott, 1998), "digitala infödingar" (Prensky, 2001), "cyberkids" (Holloway, 2003) eller "MySpace-generation" (Rosen, 2008). Dessa antaganden bygger på att det finns en generationsskillnad i förhållningssätt till internet, d.v.s. att ”internetgenerationen” är de som är kunniga och vana internetanvändare till skillnad från äldre generationer som inte helt naturligt kan ta till sig den nya digitala tekniken. Avhandlingens syfte är att empiriskt undersöka ett antal antaganden om ”internetgenerationen” för att ta reda hur dessa kan nyanseras. Således är frågeställningen: Hur kan antaganden om "internetgenerationen" nyanseras?   Följande tre antaganden har utforskats inom de tre artiklarna som ingår i avhandlingen: i) "internetgenerationen" skiljer sig från tidigare generationer när det gäller användningen av internet, ii) "internetgenerationen" är tekniskt kunniga eller digitalt kompetenta; iii) den digitalt kompetenta "internetgenerationen" är också digitalt delaktig eftersom det finns ett orsakssamband mellan digital kompetens och digital delaktighet. För att empiriskt undersöka antagandena om internetgenerationen har teoretiska koncept så som ”digital skills”, ”self-efficacy” samt ”participatory culture” använts. Ett antal hypoteser som deducerats utifrån tidigare forskning har testats på ett riksrepresentativt urval av personer födda mellan 1978 och 1997 (de som tillhör internetgenerationen). Resultaten visar att det är en förenklad bild att prata om en internetgeneration. De som ingår i den kategoriseringen har olika förutsättningar att delta i det digitala samhället. Deras internetanvändning skiljer sig åt både när det gäller hur mycket tid de spenderar samt vad de gör online. Deras digitala kompetens och självförtroende när det gäller användning av datorer skiljer sig också åt och det gäller även den upplevda känslan av delaktighet i informationssamhället. Detta indikerar att inte alla har samma förutsättningar att vara delaktiga i det digitala samhället. Vad som däremot innebär att vara delaktig är fortfarande en obesvarad fråga som behöver ägnas mer uppmärksamhet i framtida studier.