No description available.

The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the media representation of political leaders in the articles published on the Facebook pages and of the form of discussion under the articles creates fairly comprehensive picture of the discourse on the issue of women at the top political positions in the online environment. Although gender does not appear to be one of the most important factors influencing the tone of the analyzed texts, it is possible to identify several tendencies that are related to gender in both articles and comments. Except for positive tone when evaluating political actions and opinions of female politician, which highlighted the stereotypical characteristics of women (patience, compromise, etc.), articles and comments are negative. Other identified forms of media representation of female politicians were usage of images of power and weaknesses (female too strong is associated with negative tone); associating women with emotions (both extremes - absence of emotions and over-emotionality  are associated with negative tone); and using privacy-related topics such as family, fashion, hobbies (a woman who is not interested in these areas, and thus does not fall into the stereotypical image of a woman, is again depicted negatively). Analysis of the comments in the online discussion...

This design-based research study investigates the development of progressive discourse among participants (n=15, n=17, n=20) in three online graduate course contexts. Progressive discourse is a kind of discourse for inquiry in which participants share, question, and revise their ideas to deepen understanding and build knowledge. Although progressive discourse is central to knowledge building pedagogy, it is not known whether it is possible to detect its emergence in the patterns of participation in asynchronous conferencing environments or what kinds of instructional scaffolding are most effective to support its development. This study offers a unique perspective by characterizing episodes of discourse where participants honor the commitments for progressive discourse and by refining designs of peer and software-based scaffolding for progressive discourse. Results showed that measures such as note count, replies, and thread sizes can determine some qualities of online discourse but do not shed light on the development of progressive discourse. Thus an in-depth analysis of discourse for groups was developed to trace the interdependent individual contributions to the group discourse. Peer scaffolding that made norms for progressive discourse explicit was introduced to encourage participants to engage in sustained student-centered discourse for inquiry. Findings show that this intervention was most effective at the beginning of a course for newer online learners and newer graduate students, and least effective for students who were practicing K-12 teachers. A significant barrier to fostering progressive discourse is the tendency for teachers to reject these norms and revert to belief-mode thinking and devotional discourse typical of traditional schooling. Additionally, findings suggest that software-based scaffolding (as found in Knowledge Forum’s scaffold support feature) is a promising avenue for future design innovations to encourage progressive discourse. Although the results of this study are only suggestive, the findings do illustrate ways in which graduate students can uphold the commitments to move beyond expressions of socio- affective connection and opinion to discuss ideas in ways that lead to more useful explanations. The implications for these results for analyzing the quality of online discourse and the designs of instructional scaffolding in online learning environments are discussed.

This design-based research study investigates the development of progressive discourse among participants (n=15, n=17, n=20) in three online graduate course contexts. Progressive discourse is a kind of discourse for inquiry in which participants share, question, and revise their ideas to deepen understanding and build knowledge. Although progressive discourse is central to knowledge building pedagogy, it is not known whether it is possible to detect its emergence in the patterns of participation in asynchronous conferencing environments or what kinds of instructional scaffolding are most effective to support its development. This study offers a unique perspective by characterizing episodes of discourse where participants honor the commitments for progressive discourse and by refining designs of peer and software-based scaffolding for progressive discourse. Results showed that measures such as note count, replies, and thread sizes can determine some qualities of online discourse but do not shed light on the development of progressive discourse. Thus an in-depth analysis of discourse for groups was developed to trace the interdependent individual contributions to the group discourse. Peer scaffolding that made norms for progressive discourse explicit was introduced to encourage participants to engage in sustained student-centered discourse for inquiry. Findings show that this intervention was most effective at the beginning of a course for newer online learners and newer graduate students, and least effective for students who were practicing K-12 teachers. A significant barrier to fostering progressive discourse is the tendency for teachers to reject these norms and revert to belief-mode thinking and devotional discourse typical of traditional schooling. Additionally, findings suggest that software-based scaffolding (as found in Knowledge Forum’s scaffold support feature) is a promising avenue for future design innovations to encourage progressive discourse. Although the results of this study are only suggestive, the findings do illustrate ways in which graduate students can uphold the commitments to move beyond expressions of socio- affective connection and opinion to discuss ideas in ways that lead to more useful explanations. The implications for these results for analyzing the quality of online discourse and the designs of instructional scaffolding in online learning environments are discussed.

Internet involves possibilities for public debate and civic participation in democratic life. Space is provided on the World Wide Web for new communities and public discussions, both with and without explicit political intentions. The starting point of this study is that online discussions in everyday life, political or not, contribute to the reproduction of democratic and civic culture. The aim of the study is to analyze whether an un-political discussion forum in everyday life can be described as a public sphere and the discussion on hockey as communicative, democratic and deliberative. The data consists of contributions to the discussion from three seasons, 1999–2002, of the Swedish National Hockey League. The final sample, 3993 contributions posted during totally 149 days, have been undergone a content analysis. The results show that the discussion is open to anyone but dominated by one group of supporters and this status affect the discussion in several ways. The forum can be considered a public sphere principally because new areas and perspectives are continuously discussed. The participants cope well with language, truth and truthfulness but normative conflicts sometimes strongly challenge understanding. Yet communicative action is frequent enough to guarantee the survival of the discussion. The overarching character of the discussion is, due to its inequality, ordered structure and media dependency, a problem-solving democratic dialogue. Furthermore it is deliberative in several respects. Compared with political discussions on Usenet and America Online, the hockey supporters seek information and use arguments to a lower degree. On the other hand they interact much more frequent, incorporating and reflecting upon other contributions, and are much less homogeneous in their opinions than political debaters are. The conclusion is that an un-political discussion in the cultural public sphere shows even more deliberative merits than discussions in the political public sphere. In addition, by publishing new subject matters and perspectives and being a problem-solving dialogue with a potential for communicative action, the discussion is a soil for reproduction of civic and democratic culture for far more tangible reasons than just being an association of people in every day life, supposed to produce the more indeterminable qualities solidarity and social capital

In this thesis I survey the terrain of digital interactions between youth, corporations and pop culture texts in order to complicate current visions of participatory culture. I argue that popular images of the empowered young users of a new digital democracy need to be complicated by asking questions about the politics of digital participation: about whose voices are heard, about where attention is centred, about how interactivity is defined, about who is rewarded for creative labour. The opening chapter introduces key issues within a critical examination of digital participation, including commodification, user agency and intellectual property. It also outlines my methodologies and my choice of research site – namely internet television, and the proliferation of corporate and youth practices around digitized television texts. The next two chapters provide case studies that identify and evaluate not only the interactions between corporate producers and young users, but also the power relations between the two. First, I analyze young women‘s video remixes of the program Gossip Girl. I consider the remixes as gendered texts that contribute new aesthetics and concerns, even as they reproduce dominant interpretations of contemporary girlhood. I also consider the distribution of the videos on YouTube, noting how their circulation simultaneously challenges corporate ownership and creates profit and promotion for those same corporate owners. Next, I examine interactions around the The Colbert Report. Focusing on the program‘s official discussion boards, I demonstrate how young fans have taken up Stephen Colbert‘s invitation to join in the parody by creating a vibrant, dialogic and rowdy community that has frequently come into conflict with Comedy Central producers. In their attempts to address these conflicts and create alternative spaces of their own, these young people gesture towards larger tensions over the control of public digital dialogue. The final chapter draws on my research and experience as a teacher to consider how these case studies might help us to frame our own educational projects. I call for a digital literacy curriculum that provides both a place for students to reflect on their daily activities within mediated environments and the opportunity to experiment with digital production.

In this thesis I survey the terrain of digital interactions between youth, corporations and pop culture texts in order to complicate current visions of participatory culture. I argue that popular images of the empowered young users of a new digital democracy need to be complicated by asking questions about the politics of digital participation: about whose voices are heard, about where attention is centred, about how interactivity is defined, about who is rewarded for creative labour. The opening chapter introduces key issues within a critical examination of digital participation, including commodification, user agency and intellectual property. It also outlines my methodologies and my choice of research site – namely internet television, and the proliferation of corporate and youth practices around digitized television texts. The next two chapters provide case studies that identify and evaluate not only the interactions between corporate producers and young users, but also the power relations between the two. First, I analyze young women‘s video remixes of the program Gossip Girl. I consider the remixes as gendered texts that contribute new aesthetics and concerns, even as they reproduce dominant interpretations of contemporary girlhood. I also consider the distribution of the videos on YouTube, noting how their circulation simultaneously challenges corporate ownership and creates profit and promotion for those same corporate owners. Next, I examine interactions around the The Colbert Report. Focusing on the program‘s official discussion boards, I demonstrate how young fans have taken up Stephen Colbert‘s invitation to join in the parody by creating a vibrant, dialogic and rowdy community that has frequently come into conflict with Comedy Central producers. In their attempts to address these conflicts and create alternative spaces of their own, these young people gesture towards larger tensions over the control of public digital dialogue. The final chapter draws on my research and experience as a teacher to consider how these case studies might help us to frame our own educational projects. I call for a digital literacy curriculum that provides both a place for students to reflect on their daily activities within mediated environments and the opportunity to experiment with digital production.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:14:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4669.pdf: 11917089 bytes, checksum: 5b56f4f44be0b012c68ac253d08f3268 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-09 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / In this thesis we develop an analysis aiming to understand the new formatting of politics in the era of Web 2.0. The overall objective was to investigate "if" and "how" the Internet's potential for human interaction was used by the candidates and coalitions in recent presidential campaigns in the Southern Cone and "if" and "how far" the interactive tools on websites electoral were used to strengthen ties with the electorate during political campaigns and increase the quality of democratic processes. In this thesis we seek to allow two levels of analysis: the formal structure of the website and political action that it develops. We analyze the logic of the candidates' campaign coordination in the use of discussion forums for government proposals, the constraints and incentives to encourage participation of ordinary citizens and the level of control exercised, and on the other hand, the way they interacted with Internet campaigns, with candidates and each other from these tools, the form and content of discursive exchanges held there and the nature of the proposals that resulted from this interaction. We start from the assumption that the availability of online discussion forums create an opportunity structure that can increase the possibility of political action of ordinary citizens to communicate their preferences, perform inputs, participate in the construction of political projects, as well as compel the candidates to conceive with more clearly their political platforms. However, the type of product is the result of the design of the interface and how the Internet and using the candidate technology, rather than a pre-determined by it, ie, depends on how the rules are articulated objective, strategies election, the political interest and the ability of the actors involved. We tested six corollaries specific empirical contexts and concrete objects of our investigation were the platforms for discussion and collaborative construction of government programs of four presidential candidates from Argentina, Chile and Brazil during the 2007 elections, 2009 and 2010, respectively, and the corpus of empiricalresearch in 2727 totaled posts analyzed. For purposes of this study, we performed a composition techniques that resulted in a specific methodological apparatus, including observation of interactions mediated by the computer, data collection and content analysis. The model consists of a first effort to develop a methodological research strategy discussion forums established in the electoral environment of websites. The evaluation of the quality of the discussions was undertaken according to eight dimensions of analysis based on methodological parameters DQI - Discourse Quality Index (Constraints and incentives for participation, inclusiveness and diversity, reciprocity debate, mutual respect, Identification, Degree of heterogeneity, thematization and effectiveness of content and interactive interface), which were operationalized into indicators, qualitative and quantitative. / Nesta tese desenvolvemos uma análise visando compreender as novas formatações da política na era da Web 2.0. O objetivo geral foi investigar se e de que forma o potencial da Internet para interação humana foi empregado pelos candidatos e coligações nas recentes campanhas presidenciais no Cone Sul e se e em que medida as ferramentas interativas em websites eleitorais foram utilizadas para estreitar os laços com o eleitorado durante a campanha política e ampliar a qualidade dos processos democráticos. Nesta tese buscamos contemplar dois níveis de análise: a estrutura formal do website e a ação política que nele se desenvolveu. Analisamos a lógica da coordenação de campanha dos candidatos na utilização dos fóruns de debates de propostas de governo, os constrangimentos e incentivos à participação do cidadão comum e o nível de controle exercido; e por outro lado, a maneira como os internautas interagiram com as campanhas, com os candidatos e entre si a partir destas ferramentas, a forma e o teor das trocas discursivas ali realizadas e a natureza das propostas que resultaram desta interação. Partimos da hipótese de que a disponibilização de fóruns de debate online cria oportunidade estrutural que pode aumentar a possibilidade de ação política dos cidadãos comuns para comunicarem suas preferências, realizarem inputs, participarem da construção de projetos políticos, bem como compelirem os candidatos para que delineiem com mais clareza suas plataformas políticas. Não obstante, o tipo de resultado é fruto do desenho da interface e da maneira como os candidatos e internautas utilizam a tecnologia, e não um produto pré-determinado por ela, ou seja, depende da forma como se articulam as regras objetivas, as estratégias eleitorais, o interesse político e a capacidade dos atores envolvidos. Testamos seis corolários específicos em contextos empíricos concretos; nossos objetos de investigação foram as plataformas para discussão e construção colaborativa dos programas de governo de quatro presidenciáveis da Argentina, Chile e Brasil, durante os pleitos 2007, 2009 e 2010, respectivamente, e o corpus empírico desta pesquisa totalizou em 2.727 posts analisados. Para os propósitos deste estudo, foi realizada uma composição de técnicas que resultaram em um aparato metodológico específico, incluindo observação das interações mediadas pelo computador, coleta de dados e análise de conteúdo. O modelo apresentado consiste em um primeiro esforço metodológico para desenvolver uma estratégia de investigação de fóruns de discussão estabelecidos na ambiência de websites eleitorais. A avaliação da qualidade das discussões foi empreendida de acordo com oito dimensões de análise com base nos parâmetros metodológicos DQI - Discourse Quality Index (Constrangimentos e incentivos à participação, Inclusividade e Diversidade, Reciprocidade do debate, Respeito mútuo, Identificação, Grau de heterogeneidade, Tematização e conteúdo e Efetividade da interface interativa), que foram operacionalizadas com alguns indicadores, qualitativos e quantitativos.

For most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, both reading and comprehension skills are challenging to acquire. EFL students find reading challenging due to their inability to comprehend and interpret text information, which may lead, at times, to demotivation and loss of interest. The current study intends to explore how Saudi EFL learners may better tackle reading comprehension challenges by examining the utilization of metacognitive reading strategies through discussion and extensive collaborative learning activities within a multimedia e-book dialogic environment. Accordingly, the study investigates the impact of teaching metacognitive strategy-based discussion and collaborative learning on students’ application of the reading strategies. It also investigates the influence of metacognitive strategy-based discussion (MS), collaborative learning (CL), and the combined use of MS and CL on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Since an e-book dialogic environment epitomizes the main tenets of this study, the study equally explores how Saudi EFL learners perceive the effectiveness of the multimedia e-book environment on their overall reading comprehension. The participants were 115 Saudi female students at the intermediate college-level from the English Language Institution at a Saudi University. A mixed-methods quantitative-qualitative approach was employed. The findings showed impactful results for learners’ application of the reading strategies after being exposed to the treatment. Significant results were found on the effect of the metacognitive strategy-based discussion on learners’ reading comprehension. Collaborative learning showed a statistically significant influence on participants’ reading comprehension. However, the results did not show interaction between the MS and CL on students’ reading comprehension. Although teaching the MS with CL showed positive impact on students’ final reading scores, more research is needed to prove the efficacy of teaching MS with CL. The qualitative findings revealed that the MS-based discussion and collaborative learning was beneficial for EFL students in improving focus on the text, use of strategies, comprehension and reading performance. Participants evaluated the multimedia e-book features of discussion board, videos, glossing and illustrations based on their effectiveness. Both advantages and disadvantage of the e-book environment are addressed and compared to the traditional face-to-face classroom. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for EFL instructors, learners, and future researchers, and also provides limitations and recommended future research recommendations.

No description available.