The thesis has its origins in a concern that teacher librarians in schools throughout Australia were disadvantaged in the development of their professional learning due to their professional and often geographical isolation in schools. A listserv (online discussion network) called OZTL_NET was developed to facilitate the enhancement of teacher professional learning for this group of teachers. OZTL_NET has been available to teacher librarians and others interested in teacher librarianship for over nine years. The study sought to determine whether usage of OZTL_NET was associated with the enhancement of teacher librarians’ professional learning. The study also explored the characteristics of teacher professional learning from the literature and sought to determine which characteristics of online communities may contribute to teacher professional learning. A case study design for the research was adopted using a mixed methods approach. The methods of data collection were a web survey and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed and a detailed description of the object of study, OZTL_NET, was provided. A major finding of this study was that usage of OZTL_NET was significantly related to the enhancement of teacher professional learning. It was concluded that online learning communities may provide appropriate contexts for teacher professional learning and that, in relation to the case of OZTL_NET, various aspects of the concept of online learning communities and, to a lesser extent, communities of practice, are portrayed in the listserv. The findings supported the assertion that online learning communities have the potential to enhance the professional learning of teachers and provide opportunities for teachers to learn online. The study also revealed that community building online is a complex and demanding activity. Usability and sociability factors must be carefully considered and developed over the lifetime of the community. This process should include input from the community, the leadership of which should be broad-based and inclusive. Two broad principles emerged from the research that provide guidance for the management of listservs for teacher professional learning online. First, the study revealed that involvement and collaboration were critical ingredients in teacher professional learning online. Involvement was portrayed not only in the learning that ensued from the interactivity that necessarily underpins the sharing of tacit knowledge through information exchange and professional discussion between and among subscribers online but also by individuals through less obvious means such as lurking, archive searches and off-list communications. In terms of collaboration, this study found that in addition to high levels of trust, subscribers experienced a strong sense of collegiality and support as members of OZTL_NET. Second, the major finding above confirms that involvement and collaboration are strongly related to individual and collective orientations of teacher professional learning. The broad concept of individual or collective orientation recognises that teacher professional learning occurs in both orientations online as it does offline. Teachers have long recognised their colleagues as their major source of professional information. The difficulty in the past has been in the identification of a means by which teachers can readily access a wider pool of colleagues with whom they can discuss important issues, seek advice and so on. This is particularly important for teachers who are professionally isolated as a consequence of their teaching speciality (such as teacher librarians) and those who are geographically isolated making real time meetings with colleagues expensive and/or impracticable. In this context listservs such as OZTL_NET can play a critical role in providing the infrastructure to support distributed models of teacher professional learning online.

With the increasing popularity of online shopping, various new business models are emerging in this area. A successful example is great discount online shops, which quickly attract the attention from Chinese online shopping customers. In order to avoid the risk perception of customers caused by information asymmetry, and maintain competitiveness, great discount online shops should increase their customers’ trust. In this research, a number of key factors are tested from both sellers’ aspect and customers’ aspect. The finding shows both objective influencing factors, such as security, reputation of the online shop, reputation of the products’ brands, sellers’ service quality, and customers’ cognitive factors, such as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, have significant correlation with customers’ trust to great discount online shop. Among them, the objective influencing factors are more influential and have stronger effect on customers’ trust in ability, integrity and benevolence to the online shops. These findings will further shed light on how to build trust with the customers of great discount online shops.

The purpose of this study has been to investigate the virtual world that people are part of on online dating sites. To do this we have investigated two different research questions, which are the following: What functions do the online dating sites provide? Why and how are the online dating sites being used by their members? In order to gather information about these matters, we have used a qualitative method consisting of participating observation, scrutinizing and single person interviews. Our results indicate that people have different goals with their usage of online dating sites; some are looking for love, a long-term relationship while others are looking for sexual contact. There are many different online dating sites to choose from depending on the users’ objective. The online dating sites we have observed offer similar functions. To find someone of interest most of our interviewees use the search function. The way of initializing contact when finding someone of interest varies between our interviewees, but most of them send flirts and mails. Online dating offers a possible alternative for people to find a potential partner.

Det går allt fortare. Nätjournalister befinner sig mitt i nyhetsflödet. De är bland de första individerna som får ta del av de nyheter som inkommer till en webbredaktion. Från att en nyhet inkommer till en webbredaktion till dess att den publiceras på nätet är en process som idag inte behöver ta mer än tio minuter. Under dessa tio minuter hinner en nätjournalist både att granska källan, kontakta eventuella vittnen, skriva nyheten och sedan publicera den. Det är mycket arbete som ska inrymmas på kort tid. Tidsgapet mellan när en nyhet inkommer till en redaktion och då den publiceras är därmed nästan obefintligt. Det har uppstått en ökad hastighet inom nätjournalistiken som alltmer påverkar journalisterna, deras arbetsmetoder samt det innehåll som publiceras i tidningarnas nätupplagor. Denna uppsats hade för avsikt att undersöka hastighetens inverkan på den lokala nätjournalistiken samt vilka konsekvenser denna får för lokaljournalister och de nyheter som förmedlas från en webbredaktion till allmänheten. För att uppnå detta syfte utformades två frågeställningar som avsåg att undersöka hastighetens inverkan på de journalistiska idealen samt hur detta fenomen påverkar nätjournalisters insamling,bearbetning och distribution av information. I Sverige finns det lite forskning kring hastighetens inverkan på den lokala nätjournalistiken. Mycket av den befintliga forskningen inom området nätjournalistik och hastighet fokuserar istället på stora, utländska och rikstäckande medieföretag som riktar sig till en stor målgrupp till skillnad från lokaltidningar som når en mindre grupp människor som är bosatta inom ett specifikt geografiskt område. Det förekommer därmed en outforskad lucka i den vetenskapliga forskningen. Ambitionen med denna uppsats var därmed att försöka tillföra ny information till området nätjournalistik. För att uppnå syftet baserades uppsatsen på två kvalitativa delstudier, nämligen samtalsintervjuer för att få en fördjupad insikt i de lokala nätjournalisternas uppfattningar och värderingar kring hastighet samt en deltagande observation för att se om deras ord även präglar deras handlingar. Studierna ägde rum på webbredaktionen hos NWT (Nya- Wermlandstidningen) som är den största lokaltidningen i Värmland. Resultaten från de kvalitativa delstudierna visade att hastigheten inte har en negativ inverkan på lokaljournalisternas insamling och bearbetning av information. Orsaken till detta är att de journalistiska idealen är starka hos de anställda samtidigt som de har fasta rutiner som tillåter dem att utföra ett bra arbete. Ytterligare en viktig faktor till varför hastigheten inte har samma genomslag i dessa två mediesteg kan till stor del bero på den lokala kontext som studierna har utförts i. Avsaknaden av deadlines har medfört att ingen större tidsbrist kan urskiljas inom den lokala nätjournalistiken. Detta medför att de anställda i allt större utsträckning själva kan bestämma hastigheten. Angående distribution av information så har hastigheten fått en negativnverkan inom lokaljournalistiken. Den har fått ett större genomslag i detta mediesteg till skillnadfrån de övriga två stegen insamlig och bearbetning Den främsta orsaken till varför hastighet eftersträvas av journalister i detta mediesteg är viljan att vara först med en nyhet. En viktig slutsats som erhållits angående detta mediesteg är att journalister på lokal nivå eftersträvar snabb publiceringshastighet i form av kontinuerlig uppdatering, inte nödvändigtvis för läsarnas skullutan på grund av deras vilja att slå sina rivaler. / The spread of news is accelerating. Today, the time for publishing a piece of news until it reaches the reader is minimal. The online journalists are in the middle of the news flow. They are amongst the first persons who receive the incoming news to the editorial staff. It does not take longer than 10 minutes from receiving the incoming news to the editorial staff before it has been published on the web. During these 10 minutes online journalists manage both to check the source, contact possible witnesses, write the news and finally publish it. There is a lot of work that has to be compiled in a short time. The time gap between the incoming of news to the editorial staff until it is published is almost minimal. An increased speed of the publishing of news has arisen within online journalism and this has an influence on the journalists, their working methods and the contents which is published in the web-edition of the papers. This paper had the intention to investigate what influence the speed has on the local online journalism and also what consequence this speed has on the local journalists and the news which is transmitted from the editorial staff to the readers. In order to obtain this intention two questions were formulated. The purpose with these two questions was to investigate the impact of the speed on the journalistic ideals and what influence this phenomenon has on the online journalists´ collection, processing and distribution of information. In Sweden there are few studies available regarding the influence of the speed on local online journalism. Most of the existing research within the area online journalism and speed focus instead on large, foreign and nationwide media companies. These companies concentrate on a large target group in contrast to the local newspapers which reach a smaller group of readers living in a specific geographical area. There exists therefore a small unexplored area in the scientific research. The aim with this paper was to contribute new information to the area online journalism. In order to be able to achieve this intention, the paper was based on two qualitative partial studies namely conversation interviews, in order to achieve a deeper knowledge of the local online journalists´ opinions and valuations regarding the speed and a participant observation to elucidate if they translate words into deeds. The observations took place at the editorial staff of NWT (Nya Wermlands-Tidningen), which is the largest local paper in Värmland. The results from the qualitative partial studies showed that the speed does not have a negative influence on the online journalists´ collection and processing of information. The reason for this is that the journalistic ideals are strong amongst the employees and they have also regular routines, which allow them to perform a good work. One further important factor why the speed does not have the same penetrating power in these two partial studies can to a large extent be due to the local context where the studies have been performed. The absence of deadlines has resulted in the fact that no major lack of time can be perceived in local journalism. The employees can to a great extent decide the speed. The speed has a negative impact within online journalism when it comes to distribution of information. The speed has here a larger penetrating power compared with the two other partial studies collection and processing of information. The main reason for why journalists strive after speed regarding distribution of information is the desire to be first with a piece of news. An important conclusion which was obtained in this study was that journalists on a local level strive after a quick publishing speed in form of a continuous updating, not necessarily for the reader s´ sake but because of the will to beat their competitors.

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This descriptive study provided a synthesis of the form, structure, activity and relationship components utilized by online teacher induction programs designed to support novice teachers. Mentors involved in online teacher induction programs responded to an online questionnaire. The perceptions of 51 mentors involved in 36 online teacher induction programs in 16 states and one country in addition to the United States were examined to determine the effectiveness of components incorporated. A synthesis of the technological venues utilized was provided through a statistical analysis of the mentors’ responses. The mentors’ perceptions of the effectiveness of incorporated technological venues were statistically examined. Additionally, their perceptions of professional development, emotional support, reflection, and formative observation components in relation to the program’s characteristics were also examined through the analysis of their responses to the online questionnaire. Analysis of the mentors’ perceptions appeared to indicate the effective implementation of professional development and emotional support components via technological venues to support novice teachers. The professional development component was perceived as effective regardless of the school districts’ sizes, grade level taught or certification route of the novice teachers. To improve novice teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, it is suggested that online teacher induction programs employ video streaming, videotapes, and websites to deliver the professional development component. Additionally, it appeared that mentors perceived electronic mail as most effective for providing emotional support. However, telephones, bulletin boards, video conferences, and chats were also effectively utilized to support novice teachers emotionally.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Computer Science, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-81).

This thesis investigated trust over the Internet to seek a better understanding of trust and ways to increase trust in online transactions. The focus of this investigation was consumer-to-consumer transactions at online auctions where key actors were virtually anonymous to each other. The perceptions of a broad range of online auction community members support this thesis. Normative and grounded theoretical perspectives of trust and factors that affected trust were considered, compared and contrasted as part of this research. Concept mapping and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) were used to underpin the grounded theoretical perspective of trust developed as part of this thesis. Online auction cases were selected and analysed to check the grounded theoretical perspective of trust developed. This thesis provided a better understanding of trust, provided new insights into trust and distrust, added to the body of theory for trust and identified ways to increase trust in online transactions. This thesis provided better understandings of: trust; moral obligations; network decision structures; power; fairness; and perceived behavioural controls at online auctions. A grounded theoretical model of trust based in TPB was developed that was specific to online auctions. This model of trust developed appeared to provide clearer and richer insights into online auction trust. The model of trust developed identified factors and constructs that affected trust rather than the magnitude of any affects. The model developed and findings of this thesis can be applied to new or specific online auction sites to help practitioners build better online environments to encourage more people to transact rather than just browse online. The grounded theoretical perspective of trust and findings of this thesis may be relevant to other online consumer-to-consumer transactional environments.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, August, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ap.C.T. & M.)--Cleveland State University, 2008 / Abstract. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 3, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-99). Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center. Also available in print.