Churches are confronted with the reality of younger, mobile generations challenging existing understandings of church and witness. They seem to live according to a different (postcolonial) script. This study probes the question as to how these churches are to understand and respond meaningfully, but also missiologically, to these transformations. Coming as a missiologist from a particular ecclesiological, theological, cultural background, I had two rationales for this study, namely to review the current theories we have about church and mission, i.e., missiological ecclesiology, and in order to do this, we need to craft a sensitive and creative dialogue, in the form of a missiological methodology with younger people. I address these rationales, guided by a research question: How can I design a creative dialogue with younger generations, to pick up the impulses, in order to discern a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Working with the metaphor of ―remixing‖, this discernment process started off where I engaged my own embeddedness. These were the older ―samples‖ to work with, in order to produce something new and in tune with the sensibilities, the ―soul‖ of newer communities. I then attempt to understand the current social transformations that younger generations are responding to. Through this, I want to design a methodology for a creative dialogue with these youth movements on the basis of an intersubjective epistemology. Using this methodology, I could develop a thick description from the dialogue with the two uniting youth movements. Lastly, I present the engagement (remixing) between these rich new impulses with the old (the existing), in carving out an appropriate missional ecclesiology for the audiences I‘ve been with. Starting with an outdated and colonial gereformeerde missionary ecclesiology, but then also the anti-colonial ecclesiologies and a postmodern (predominantly Western) emerging missionary ecclesiology, I discern a particular postcolonial African ecclesiology, which I call a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Instead of exclusion, I propose remixing church in terms of five dimensions as social network, spiritual home, mobile community, movement in the Holy Spirit and as story. These can serve as a map to guide Southern African congregations in their dialogue with younger generations. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation investigates an online co-creation network as a communication strategy and it is delimited to analyze the co-creation of value between organizations and their public as a communication strategy in the network society. The problem that leads the study focuses on the assumption that co-creation in online network enables new forms of interactions and relationships between organizations and their public and it is structured as follows: "How does Natura use an online co-creation network as a communication strategy in the network society?" The general objective of the research is to analyze the co-creation of value by Natura as an organizational communication strategy. The specific objectives are defined as follows: (1) Describing the main digital social media used. (2) Checking the strategic appropriation of an online network for the co-creation of value; (3) Describing the online co-creation network created by Natura; (4) Analyzing the forms of interactions provided by the online co-creation network of Natura s Cocriando Program. The methodological approach of the research consists in the articulated application of different and complementary methods and techniques that seek to investigate how the communication strategies through co-creation in the digital ambience of the researched organization shape up. The course includes the study through non-participant observation in digital social media and in online co-creation network of Natura s Cocriando Program. In addition, there is the indepth interview with the person responsible for the company's innovation management and the asynchronous interview through structured questionnaire with the participants that contributed the most with ideas on Jornada SOU. We used the analytical model structured for the analysis of digital platforms proposed by Proulx (2012) and the interaction blocks proposed by Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2004) so there would have co-creation. From the merger of these two methodological perspectives we created a third model of analysis that includes five categories: the platform's technical architecture; dialogue; user experience, riskbenefit and user contribution. In this context, we found out that the co-creation of value made strategic communication processes between Natura and its public possible. The co-creation network can be considered a complex and unprecedented tool when it comes to structure different stakeholders in network, in order to jointly create ideas through online interactions, aiming at innovation. / Esta dissertação investiga uma rede de cocriação online como uma estratégia de comunicação e está delimitada em analisar a cocriação de valor entre organizações e seus públicos como estratégia de comunicação na sociedade em rede. A problemática que conduz este estudo centra-se no pressuposto de que a cocriação em rede online possibilita novas formas de interações e relacionamentos entre as organizações e seus públicos e está assim estruturada Como a Natura utiliza-se de uma rede de cocriação online como estratégia de comunicação na sociedade em rede? O objetivo geral da pesquisa consiste em analisar a cocriação de valor da Natura como estratégia de comunicação organizacional. Os objetivos específicos estão assim definidos: (1) Descrever as principais mídias sociais digitais utilizadas. (2) Verificar a apropriação estratégica de uma rede online para a cocriação de valor; (3) Descrever a rede de cocriação online criada pela Natura; (4) Analisar as formas de interações proporcionadas pela rede de cocriação online do Programa Cocriando Natura. O percurso metodológico da presente pesquisa consiste na aplicação articulada de diferentes e complementares métodos e técnicas que buscam investigar como configuram-se as estratégias comunicacionais através da cocriação na ambiência digital da organização pesquisada. O percurso compreende o estudo através da observação não participativa nas mídias sociais digitais e da rede de cocriação online do Programa Cocriando Natura. Além disso, entrevista em profundidade com a responsável pela gestão de inovação da empresa e entrevista assíncrona através de questionário estruturado com os participantes que mais contribuíram com ideias na Jornada SOU. Utilizamos o modelo analítico estruturado para análise de plataformas digitais proposto por Proulx (2012) e os blocos de interação para que exista cocriação proposto por Prahalad e Ramaswamy (2004). A partir da junção dessas duas perspectivas metodológicas criamos um terceiro modelo de análise que contempla cinco categorias: a arquitetura técnica da plataforma; diálogo; experiência do usuário, riscobenefício e a contribuição do usuário. Nesse contexto, averiguamos que a cocriação de valor viabilizou processos comunicacionais estratégicos entre a Natura e seus públicos. O cocriando Natura pode ser considerado um programa complexo e inédito, no sentido de estruturar em rede, diferentes públicos de interesse, com objetivo de criar conjuntamente ideias, através de interações online, que visam à inovação.

This study investigates the possibility of implementing national psychological defence measures utilizing social media. These measures are understood as an exercise of political power and are contextualised in the contemporary global information arena using Castells theory of communication power in the network society, while employing PSYOPS methodology to further understand the tactical dimensions. It also attempts to evaluate the prevalence of ”filter bubbles” and the potential hindrance such may be to successful implementation. Results show that key audiences can be reached and effectively influenced through the use of social media advert targeting systems and open source, fact-based information campaigns.

This master thesis explores the dynamics of information flows between the hacktivist group Guacamaya, media outlets and social media users. The study aims to understand the role of various social actors within the digital space such as media outlets, journalists, bots, and trolls, in shaping public opinion and the overall effectiveness of the group's communication activities. A netnographic methodology was employed to observe the journey and transformation of information as it travelled from the hacktivist group to journalists and eventually to social media users. Tweets were obtained purposefully, to build a media ecology with sentiments, topics and where different actors interact with the information and with each other, modifying and reinterpreting the purpose of Guacamaya. The theoretical framework draws on the concepts of technopolitics, hacktivism, information flows, the network society and gatekeeping. My findings show how the Internet is a contested territory where attention and power are disputed. They also provide evidence on the complexity of the communication process in the digital space as all interactions from all actors influence the information flow. The conclusions highlight the new media ecology environment and the multidisciplinary role of actors in the digital realm. Furthermore, they argue that hacktivism as counterpower involves more than technical skills for uncovering hidden information and demanding accountability, but also strategic reappropriation for reducing inequalities and promoting just and inclusive societies. Hopefully, this thesis contributes to understanding the potential of hacktivists groups to drive political and social change through the understanding of a new communication environment.

Denna kvalitativa flerfallsstudie syftar till att skapa en fördjupad förståelse av digitalt socialt arbete. Vi vill undersöka det digitala kunskapshöjande arbetet och det digitala stödet så som det beskrivs på stödorganisationerna Bris, ECPAT och Storasyster hemsidor, avseende barns sexuella utsatthet på internet. Studiens material analyseras med hjälp av tematisk analys .Resultatet presenteras genom två centrala teman, digital informationsspridning och digitala praktiska åtgärder med tillhörande fem subteman. I diskussionen diskuteras stödorganisationernas digitala arbete utifrån teorin om nätverks- och informationssamhälle. Slutsatsen visar att stödorganisationernas informationsspridning på deras hemsidor görs i nätverkssamhället där individer kopplas samman via nätverk. Storasysters “onlinesyster” och“onlinebror” är mer lik massamhällets uppbyggnad med starkare kontakter, medan ECPATs“ snabbhjälpen” och Bris “brisboten” är mer lik nätverkssamhällets ideal med minimal kontakt. Uppsatsen har skapat en fördjupad förståelse av variationer av digital informationsspridning samt av digitalt stöd. / This qualitative multi-case study aims to create an in-depth understanding of digital socialwork. We want to examinate the digital knowledge-raising work and digital support as described on the support organizations Bris, ECPAT and Storasyster websites, regarding children's sexual vulnerability on the internet. The material of the study consists of supportorganizations’ websites and digitally published texts that are analyzed using thematic analysis. The discussion highlights the support organizations’ digital work with the theory ofnetwork and information society. The conclusion shows that the support organizations’ dissemination of information on their websites is done in the network society where individuals are connected via networks. “Onlinesyster" are more similar to the mass society with stronger contacts, while "snabbhjälpen" and "brisboten" are more similar to the ideal ofthe network society with minimal contact. The thesis has created an in-depth understanding of variations in digital information dissemination as well as digital support.

Depuis le Conseil européen de Lisbonne en 2000, l’Union européenne s’active à devenir une société de la connaissance leader dans l’hypercompétition mondiale. Elle s’attache à enrichir et structurer ses ressources de diversité et de créativité en restructurant sa méthode d’intégration suivant une approche plus ascendante. Elle pousse aussi au décloisonnement de tous les secteurs socio-économiques afin d’en libérer les potentiels d’innovation. Une société en réseau se tisse ainsi grâce au développement des acteurs locaux et d’une connivence public-privé. Toutefois, ces mutations juridiques exigent l’adhésion active des citoyens. Dès lors, à côté des politiques d’éducation, de recherche et d’innovation, l’Union favorise les synergies avec les domaines de l’emploi, de la jeunesse et de la culture. Tous ces changements entraînent une quête effrénée de cohérence globale nécessaire à la compétitivité et à la durabilité du modèle européen de société de la connaissance. Pour atteindre ces objectifs, le droit européen va puiser sa cohérence dans l’articulation des concepts d’Etat social actif, de méritocratie et de démocratisation. / Since the European Council of Lisbon in 2000, the European Union tends to become a knowledge society leader in the world competition. It enriches and structures its ressources of diversity and creativity by generating a renewal of its integration method around a bottom-up approach. It stimulates too a decompartmentalization of all the socio-economic sectors to free all the innovation potentials. So, a network society appears thanks to the development of regional actors and a public-private connivance. But, the legal evolutions need to get the adhesion of the citizens. That’s why, in addition to the policies of education, research and innovation, the European Union fosters synergies with the domains of employment, youth and culture. All these transitions trigger a search of global coherence to guarantee the competitiveness and the sustainability of the European model of knowledge society. To reach these goals, the European law finds its coherence by articulating the notions of active welfare State, meritocracy and democratization.

This research study looks at digital academic space, which is defined here as web-based digitally mediated artifacts produced by universities and their members. Open source software projects and the Open Access movement play large roles within digital academic space, not only because of their strong historical academic roots, but also because these projects are growing in prevalence in many universities. Framed by theories from the field of higher education and media studies, this research study is an analysis of the dynamics and effects of one open source software project that produces Open Access electronic journals. The software system, called the Open Journal Systems (OJS), originally developed by an education professor from a Canadian university, has been adopted by thousands of universities world- wide to publish electronic peer reviewed academic journals. OJS users distributed at universities throughout the world have contributed software code back to the system, by for example, creating translation modules enabling users to publish journals in a range of languages thus adding an interesting global dimension to the project. Based on interviews with the OJS software developers, administrators, and users, as well as a range of material culled from online, this situational analysis of the OJS sketches out the conditions, dynamics, discourses and professional identities that form the basis of an emerging phenomenon within universities that is named here the digitally mediated open research project (DMORP

This research study looks at digital academic space, which is defined here as web-based digitally mediated artifacts produced by universities and their members. Open source software projects and the Open Access movement play large roles within digital academic space, not only because of their strong historical academic roots, but also because these projects are growing in prevalence in many universities. Framed by theories from the field of higher education and media studies, this research study is an analysis of the dynamics and effects of one open source software project that produces Open Access electronic journals. The software system, called the Open Journal Systems (OJS), originally developed by an education professor from a Canadian university, has been adopted by thousands of universities world- wide to publish electronic peer reviewed academic journals. OJS users distributed at universities throughout the world have contributed software code back to the system, by for example, creating translation modules enabling users to publish journals in a range of languages thus adding an interesting global dimension to the project. Based on interviews with the OJS software developers, administrators, and users, as well as a range of material culled from online, this situational analysis of the OJS sketches out the conditions, dynamics, discourses and professional identities that form the basis of an emerging phenomenon within universities that is named here the digitally mediated open research project (DMORP

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning is of significant importance to a country’s development and the social growth of individuals. As a result, ICT usage is gaining momentum in world schooling systems. Cognisant of the benefits of ICTs in teaching and learning, South African schools have introduced ICTs in schools and teachers are compelled to adopt and integrate technology to improve their pedagogic activities. The purpose of this research was to explore South African teachers’ experience in using ICT in the schooling system. This study was underpinned by the Network Society theoretical framework that endorses the use of ICTs in teaching and learning environments. The research method used in the study followed a qualitative interpretative approach and data collection methods included a literature study, non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews with a purposefully selected sample of teachers and school principals and analysis of documents on ICTs in teaching and learning. Findings indicated that ICT integration in teaching and learning is endorsed by teachers and principals who understand the benefits of ICT in enabling better methodological strategies, greater collaboration among teachers, improved access to the required information and the ability to cater for learners with different potential and learning styles. However, a number of factors that hinder the successful ICT integration in urban schools were identified as inadequate ICT infrastructure, teachers’ lack of ICT skills and low level of ICT proficiency, inadequate training, negative attitudes and poor teacher confidence. Other factors included lack of ICT leadership, funds and technical support. These findings indicated poor implementation of policy and a lack of connection between theory and practice. It was concluded that all education stakeholders, including parents, should work together in securing an ICT infrastructure that will accommodate all learners. It was recommended that more regular workshops which focus on the development of ICT skills in accordance with the proficiency levels required to effect successful integration of ICTs by teachers, be conducted. Moreover, principals should attend training workshops to learn about their responsibilities as ICT leaders at school. Technological pedagogical and content knowledge (PACK) together with CRAR3FS2 principles could provide a crucial framework for training South African teachers to overcome their ICT skill challenges. The ultimate goal of this study is to analyse factors that both hinder and enable the integration of ICTs into teaching practice in South Africa and to contribute to the body of literature on ICT integration in South African urban schools. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Design and system implementation for portal Andromedia with using relation database Diploma thesis Author: Ing. Tomáš Velický Supevisor: PhDr. Mgr. Jan Pokorný, Ph.D. Abstrakt The aim of this diploma thesis is the design, implementation and development of database applications for portal Andromedia using database technology. The solution is designed as an information base for continuing professional education. The purpose of the databank is gradually collect information of trends and analyzes in the field of continuing education, ideas and practices, methods, teaching aids, case studies, tests and other guidelines and sources of information. Author documented the results of the analysis of the problem and created solution using methods of project management solutions. The new solution is graphic design, database design and description using the RF model, and UML diagrams. Technologies used in the design databank are the programming language PHP and MySQL relational database. The conclusion evaluates the success of database applications implementation, where is the most interesting findings that the application is used very often in the exam period, when it was mostly used by students to obtain the most suitable materials for self-study. Subsequently, it proposes steps to further improve the sustainability...