Although in practice and in many sources of literature the need for the application of Web 2.0 tools in education is highlighted, however there is lack of clear methods how these tools could be applied in learning for a higher learning quality, and there is a lack of e-learning systems that implement personalised Web 2.0 tools selection. In the work, personalised Web 2.0 tools selection method is presented. In the research, first of all, personalised e-learning technological peculiarities i.e. recommender systems applications for learning personalisation and those systems components were investigated. After that, selection methods for Web 2.0 tools suitable for implementing learning activities were analysed. The method of integrating Web 2.0 tools into personalised learning activities according to students learning styles was created (this method takes into account student’s learning preferences for content and communication modes tailored to the learning activities with a view to help the learner to quickly and accurately find the right educational tools) and prototype of the recommender system that implements the method proposed was developed. Finally, the expert evaluation of the developed system prototype that implements the method proposed was performed. / Personalizuotos mokymosi aplinkos kūrimas parenkant besimokančiajam tinkamas internetines priemones yra sudėtingas ir aktualus šių dienų uždavinys. Dabartinis besimokantysis turėtų pats imtis iniciatyvos, būti atsakingas už mokymosi procesą, mokėti pasirinkti tinkamas mokymosi priemones, tačiau parama mokymosi metu irgi yra labai svarbi, nes abejotina, ar besimokančiojo savarankiškai pasirinktos priemonės padės įgyvendinti siekiamų mokymosi tikslų ir veiklų optimaliausiu būdu. Disertaciniame darbe išnagrinėti rekomendavimo sistemų ir jose naudojamų vartotojo profilių tipai, rekomendavimo būdai, šių sistemų taikymo galimybės personalizuotam mokymuisi, mokymosi proceso ir antrosios kartos saityno priemonių sąveika, pagrindinės savybės. Pateikiamas antrosios kartos saityno priemonių komponavimo mokymosi procese metodas parenkantis tam tikram besimokančiajam priemonę atsižvelgus į mokymosi tikslus, norimą įgyvendinti mokymosi veiklą, teikiamą pirmenybę mokymosi turiniui bei bendravimo formai. Nagrinėtoji dalykinė sritis aprašyta ontologijoje, o pasiūlyto metodo etapai įgyvendinti žiniomis grindžiamos rekomendavimo sistemos prototipe. Sukurtoji sistema rekomenduoja tam tikrą mokymosi stilių turinčiam besimokančiajam visas jos žinių bazėje esančias internetines priemones, kuriomis naudodamasis besimokantysis gali atlikti nurodytą mokymosi veiklą. Pasiūlytą metodą įvertino parinkti ekspertai – buvo įsitikinta metodo kokybe, t. y. tikslumu, tinkamumu ir našumu (laiko atžvilgiu)... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Over the last decade, the rapid growth and adoption of the World Wide Web has further exacerbated user needs for e±cient mechanisms for information and knowledge location, selection, and retrieval. How to gather useful and meaningful information from the Web becomes challenging to users. The capture of user information needs is key to delivering users' desired information, and user pro¯les can help to capture information needs. However, e®ectively acquiring user pro¯les is di±cult. It is argued that if user background knowledge can be speci¯ed by ontolo- gies, more accurate user pro¯les can be acquired and thus information needs can be captured e®ectively. Web users implicitly possess concept models that are obtained from their experience and education, and use the concept models in information gathering. Prior to this work, much research has attempted to use ontologies to specify user background knowledge and user concept models. However, these works have a drawback in that they cannot move beyond the subsumption of super - and sub-class structure to emphasising the speci¯c se- mantic relations in a single computational model. This has also been a challenge for years in the knowledge engineering community. Thus, using ontologies to represent user concept models and to acquire user pro¯les remains an unsolved problem in personalised Web information gathering and knowledge engineering. In this thesis, an ontology learning and mining model is proposed to acquire user pro¯les for personalised Web information gathering. The proposed compu- tational model emphasises the speci¯c is-a and part-of semantic relations in one computational model. The world knowledge and users' Local Instance Reposito- ries are used to attempt to discover and specify user background knowledge. From a world knowledge base, personalised ontologies are constructed by adopting au- tomatic or semi-automatic techniques to extract user interest concepts, focusing on user information needs. A multidimensional ontology mining method, Speci- ¯city and Exhaustivity, is also introduced in this thesis for analysing the user background knowledge discovered and speci¯ed in user personalised ontologies. The ontology learning and mining model is evaluated by comparing with human- based and state-of-the-art computational models in experiments, using a large, standard data set. The experimental results are promising for evaluation. The proposed ontology learning and mining model in this thesis helps to develop a better understanding of user pro¯le acquisition, thus providing better design of personalised Web information gathering systems. The contributions are increasingly signi¯cant, given both the rapid explosion of Web information in recent years and today's accessibility to the Internet and the full text world.

Product customisation has always been a regular practice as a form of self or group identification. Previous studies have demonstrated that when investing time and effort to customise a product, an emotional attachment to that product develops. Since the 1980s, new technologies in design, manufacturing and communications have facilitated customisation practices for mass manufacturers as well as for individual consumers. For example, computer algorithms can now automate customisation (i.e. individualise), meaning that the investment of time and effort can be significantly lower than in other customisation processes. Such novel automated practices have, however, not considered the effects on emotional attachment to products, which occurs when the consumer personally engages in the process. This research investigates individualisation as a form of customisation by looking at the relationship between an individualised product and the consumers’ attribution of value and emotional attachment to the end result. This was achieved through a mixed methods approach: following a literature review, in-depth interviews, observation and experiments were carried out. Four pilot studies were conducted, involving 42 respondents (designers, company directors, and consumers). The main study engaged a further 44 respondents, profiled as one of two types of consumers depending on their critical engagement with customisation processes, namely Active Consumers (AC) that Passive Consumers (PC). Data was collected through five Action Research cycles and incorporated key features of Design-Based Research. It was then processed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis. This study makes contributions to knowledge in the area of product customisation and individualisation, as well as in the research methods developed, applied and refined over the four pilot iterations and in the main study. Results suggest that despite limiting freedom of choice, individualisation is a valuable approach to product customisation, particularly for PCs willing to relinquish part of the decision making to an automated process, in order to obtain a customised and unique design. ACs, on the other hand, value their freedom to customise their own products and see individualisation as a limitation to the customisation experience and as a hindrance to developing emotional attachment to the product. These findings have the potential to inform entrepreneurs’ and designers’ decisions to better understand and exploit the benefits associated to individualisation processes. Offering specific consumer groups opportunities to engage with the individualisation process can trigger a strong emotional product attachment and potentially generate new business opportunities.

Cognitive behaviour therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy are the leading treatments for eating disorders. Little is understood regarding their mechanisms of action. The research described in this thesis investigated the purported mechanisms of action of two transdiagnostic versions of these treatments; enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT-E) and interpersonal psychotherapy for eating disorders (IPT-ED). A series of mediation studies were embedded within a randomised controlled trial comparing CBT-E and IPT-ED in a transdiagnostic sample of patients with eating disorders. An analytic strategy using multilevel and structural equation modelling was used to assess for statistical mediation. Three of the key purported mediators of action of CBT-E (regularity of eating, frequency of weighing, and frequency of shape checking) and the key purported mediator of IPT-ED (interpersonal problem severity) were studied. Only regularity of eating demonstrated a strong case for being a mediator of the effect of CBT-E (on frequency of binge eating). The findings were inconclusive regarding other putative mediators of the effect of CBT-E, and for interpersonal problem severity being a mediator of the effect of IPT-ED. Limitations of the research included the non-optimal choice of measures and non-optimal timing of measurements for establishing temporal precedence. Future research should investigate the mediating role of both cognitive (e.g. interpretation of weight) and behavioural processes (e.g. frequency of weighing) in CBT-E, and the role of interpersonal functioning in CBT-E and IPT-ED. Research should use daily, or session by session measurement to better assess the temporal relationship between the purported mediator/s and the outcome/s. Experimental designs comparing dismantled versions of treatment would also help determine the relative effects that different treatment procedures have on treatment outcome/s.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate key success factors of a business model for digitally enhanced and demand driven manufacturing of personalised apparel products. Through the investigation of a questionnaire and two focus group discussions the research outlines the co-creation of customers and the company when personalising an apparel productafter individual requests. Furthermore, it examines the relationship and impacts of service experiences towards the customer journey of value-adding personalisation. Methodology: This study is based on a mixed-method design. The empirical data weregathered through an online questionnaire, which reached out to 183 participants. Furthermore, the data were collected from two focus group discussions with seven students in total. The  discussions were transcribed, coded and analysed using a comparative analysis approach. The main limitations of the research are the limited amount of questionnaire participants and focus groups as well as the focus on personalisation services regarding apparel products. Findings: The findings of the analysis point out that in order to establish a beneficial demand driven business model for the personalisation of apparel products, a company has to adopt factors such as raising awareness, ensure value-adding integration, ideal information sharing, straightforward operation, incorporate customer’s knowledge, customer satisfaction, enablevaluable personalisation as well as consider customer’s emotion. Additionally, the results illustrate that service experiences have an impact on the customer journey of a personalisation. Contribution: This paper contributes to the academia by investigating a framework for ther elationship between a customer journey and the service experiences while co-designing a product with a company. Practical contributions are made by investigating key success factors for digitally enhanced, demand driven manufacturing of personalised apparel products and by giving new insights in the integration of customers when using the service of personalisation. The generated framework and the key success factors can be principle guidelines for entrepreneurs and established businesses as well as for future investigations.

This research investigates the potential of the general public to actively design their own products and let consumers either manufacture by themselves or send the files to manufacturers to be produced. This approach anticipates the rapid growth of fabrication technology, particularly in Additive Manufacturing (AM)/3D printing. Recent developments in the field of AM/3D printing have led to renewed interest in how to manufacture customised products and in a way that will allow consumers to create bespoke products more easily. These technologies can enhance the understanding of non-technology compliant consumers and bring the manufacturing process closer to them. Consequently, to make AM/3D printing more accessible and easier to employ by the general public, design aspects need to be developed to be as simple to operate in the same manner as AM/3D printing technologies. These technologies will then attract consumers who want to produce Do-It-Yourself (DIY) products. This study suggests a Computer-aided Consumer Design (CaCODE) system as user- friendly design software to simplify the Computer Aided Design (CAD) stages that are required to produce 3D model data required by the AM/3D printing process. This software will be an easy-to-operate design system where consumers interact with parameters of designed forms easily instead of operating conventional CAD. In addition, this research investigates the current capabilities of AM/3D printing technologies in producing consumer products. To uncover the potential of consumer-led design and manufacturing, CaCODE has been developed for consumer evaluation, which is needed to measure the appropriateness of the tool. In addition, a range of consumer product samples as pens has been built using a range of different materials, AM/3D printing technologies and additional post-processing methods. This was undertaken to evaluate consumer acceptance of the AM/3D printed product based on products perceived quality. Forty non-designer participants, 50% male and 50% female, from 5 to 64 years old, 6-7 participants per ten-year age groups in 6 groups, were recruited. The results indicated that 75% of the participants would like to design their own product using consumer design software. The study compared how consumers interacted with the 3D model to manipulate the shape by using two methods: indirect manipulation (sliders) and direct manipulation (drag points). The majority of the participants would prefer to use the direct manipulation because they felt it was easy to use and enabled them to enjoy the design process. The study concluded that the direct manipulation was more acceptable because it enabled users to touch the digital product and manipulate it, making it more intuitive and natural. The research finds that there is a potential for consumers to design a product using user-friendly design tools. Using these findings, a consumer design tool concept was created for future development. The study indicated that 53% of participants would like to use products made by AM/3D printing although they still wanted the surface finish of injection moulded parts. However, the AM/3D printing has advantages that can fulfil the participants preference such as multi-materials from the material jetting method and it is proved that additional post-processing can increase participants acceptance level.

If the e-shop wants to have loyal customers, they have to begin actively build the relationship with them. This master thesis discusses the methods by which can e-shop start working on building a strong customer relationship and put it in the context of modern trends in online marketing and current advanced communication technologies. Customer lifecycle optimisation which is closely related with data analysis, communication, online marketing and business process improving is not yet very known topic in the Czech Republic. It is so despite the methods aren't difficult to learn new tools or other entry barriers. Master thesis should provide the e-shop owners and their marketers with comprehensive guide how to apply the knowledge about the customer lifecycle to their e-shop.

L'objectif de cette thèse est d'utiliser des données non-invasives (électrocardiogrammes, ECG) pour personnaliser les principaux paramètres d'un modèle électrophysiologique (EP) cardiaque pour prédire la réponse à la thérapie de resynchronisation cardiaque. La TRC est un traitement utilisé en routine clinique pour certaines insuffisances cardiaques mais reste inefficace chez 30% des patients traités impliquant une morbidité et un coût importants. Une compréhension précise de la fonction cardiaque propre au patient peut aider à prédire la réponse à la thérapie. Les méthodes actuelles se basent sur un examen invasif au moyen d’un cathéter qui peut être dangereux pour le patient. Nous avons développé une personnalisation non-invasive du modèle EP fondée sur une base de données simulée et un apprentissage automatique. Nous avons estimé l'emplacement de l'activation initiale et un paramètre de conduction global. Nous avons étendu cette approche à plusieurs activations initiales et aux ischémies au moyen d'une régression bayésienne parcimonieuse. De plus, nous avons développé une anatomie de référence afin d'effectuer une régression hors ligne unique et nous avons prédit la réponse à différentes stimulations à partir du modèle personnalisé. Dans une seconde partie, nous avons étudié l'adaptation aux données ECG à 12 dérivations et l'intégration dans un modèle électromécanique à usage clinique. L'évaluation de notre travail a été réalisée sur un ensemble de données important (25 patients, 150 cycles cardiaques). En plus d'avoir des résultats comparables avec les dernières méthodes d'imagerie ECG, les signaux ECG prédits présentent une bonne corrélation avec les signaux réels. / The objective of this thesis is to use non-invasive data (body surface potential mapping, BSPM) to personalise the main parameters of a cardiac electrophysiological (EP) model for predicting the response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). CRT is a clinically proven treatment option for some heart failures. However, these therapies are ineffective in 30% of the treated patients and involve significant morbidity and substantial cost. The precise understanding of the patient-specific cardiac function can help to predict the response to therapy. Until now, such methods required to measure intra-cardiac electrical potentials through an invasive endovascular procedure which can be at risk for the patient. We developed a non-invasive EP model personalisation based on a patient-specific simulated database and machine learning regressions. First, we estimated the onset activation location and a global conduction parameter. We extended this approach to multiple onsets and to ischemic patients by means of a sparse Bayesian regression. Moreover, we developed a reference ventricle-torso anatomy in order to perform an common offline regression and we predicted the response to different pacing conditions from the personalised model. In a second part, we studied the adaptation of the proposed method to the input of 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) and the integration in an electro-mechanical model for a clinical use. The evaluation of our work was performed on an important dataset (more than 25 patients and 150 cardiac cycles). Besides having comparable results with state-of-the-art ECG imaging methods, the predicted BSPMs show good correlation coefficients with the real BSPMs.

Studien behandlar fenomenet av datainsamling i försäljningsfrämjande syfte och dess upplevda effekt på personlig integritet för konsumenter. Digital marknadsföringsteknik är en central del av dagens marknader och involverar diverse IT-lösningar för att optimera marknadsföringskampanjer och försäljningsprocesser men även i produktutveckling. Denna undersökning syftar till att studera kundupplevelsen i relation till behandlingen av personlig integritet i e-handelsföretag inom klädbranschen som bedriver datainsamling i vinstsyfte. Problemet som ligger till grund för undersökningen är bristfällig kunskap om datainsamling på individnivå, vilket resulterar i att företag kan använda informationen i kommersiellt syfte för att optimera försäljningsprocessen utan kundens vetskap. Godkännande av integritetspolicy och användarvillkor utan förståelse för innebörden kan resultera i att kunders personliga uppgifter blir en handelsvara och kan upplevas vara integritetskränkande. Frågeställningen lyder därav “Hur upplever höginkomsttagare i Stockholms län, åldrarna 25-34, att deras personliga data behandlas av e-handelsföretag i klädbranschen som samlar in personliga data i kommersiella syften?”. Studien baseras på en social kartläggning som undersökningsstrategi, vilket förutsätter omfattande och detaljerad skildring för verkligheten för att kartlägga i det sociala samhället. Forskningsmetoden, som inkluderar semistrukturerade intervjuer med höginkomsttagare i Stockholms län i åldern 25-34 år, syftar till att söka beteende- och konsumtionsmönster inom den målgrupp som konsumerar mest online i Sverige. Detta för att belysa samband och olikheter över inställningen till behandling av personlig integritet och därmed alstra en djupare förståelse av mänskligt beteende, med hjälp av en tematisk analysmetod. Baserat på tidigare forskning visar integritetsparadoxen att konsumenter tillåter företag att samla in personuppgifter i utbyte mot att den insamlade datan genererar relevanta fördelar med avseende på skräddarsydda annonser. Black Box Society är ett fenomen som inbegriper användningen av algoritmer för att kunna påverka användare i föredragen riktning utan deras vetskap. Resultaten av denna studie belyser viss tilltro gentemot e-handelsföretag, men även oro vid försäljning av tredjepartsdata. Sammantaget är konsumenter medvetna om att datainsamling sker i samband med personlig marknadsföring, men visar mindre förståelse för exakt vilken data som samlas in och insamlingen sker. Denna begränsade förståelse beror förmodligen på att integritets- och användarvillkor upplevs som svårförståeliga vilket hindrar medvetenheten om omfattningen av datainsamling. Dessutom anmärks skillnader i attityder till behandling av personuppgifter då vissa av intervjuobjekten i målgruppen visar en positiv attityd till personliga erbjudanden och vissa menar på att det varken är nödvändigt eller önskvärt, men tolererat. / The study addresses the phenomenon of data collection for sales promotion purposes and its perceived impact on personal privacy for consumers. Digital marketing technology is a central aspect of today's markets and involves various IT-solutions to optimize marketing campaigns, sales processes, and product development. This research aims to examine the customer experience regarding the treatment of personal privacy in e-commerce companies within the clothing industry that engage in data collection with profit purposes. The problem underlying the investigation is the lack of knowledge about individual-level data collection, which allows companies to use the information for commercial purposes to optimize the sales process without the customer's awareness. Approval of privacy policies and terms of use without understanding their implications can result in customers' personal information becoming a commodity and perceived as an invasion of privacy. Therefore, the research question is: "How do high-income individuals, aged 25-34, in Stockholm county perceive the treatment of their personal privacy by e-commerce companies in the clothing industry that collect personal data for commercial purposes?". This study is based on a social survey that presumes an extensive and detailed description of reality in order to map the social community. The research method involves semi-structured interviews with high-income individuals aged 25-34 in Stockholm county to explore their behavioral and consumption patterns. This specific target group represents the highest online consumers in Sweden, aiming to shed light on connections and variations in attitudes towards the treatment of personal privacy and thereby generate a deeper understanding of human behavior, using thematic analysis. Based on earlier research, the integrity paradox shows that consumers allow businesses to collect personal data in exchange for the collected data to generate relevant benefits with regards to personalized ads. Black Box Society is another phenomenon that involves the use of algorithms in order to affect users in a desired direction without their knowledge. The results of this study indicate a certain level of trust towards e-commerce companies, but also concerns regarding the sale of third-party data. Overall, consumers are aware that data collection occurs in the context of personalized marketing but show limited understanding of the exact data collected and the methods of collection. This limited understanding is likely due to the perceived complexity of privacy policies and terms of use, hindering awareness of the extent of data collection. Additionally, differences in attitudes towards the treatment of personal information are observed, as some interviewees in the target group display a positive attitude towards personalized offers, while others consider it unnecessary and undesirable, yet tolerated.

Yes / Location-based advertising is an entrepreneurial and innovative means for advertisers to reach out through personalised messages sent directly to mobile phones using their geographic location. The mobile phone users' willingness to disclose their location and other personal information is essential for the successful implementation of mobile location-based advertising (MLBA). Despite the potential enhancement of the user experience through such personalisation and the improved interaction with the marketer, there is an increasing tension between that personalisation and mobile users' concerns about privacy. While the privacy calculus theory (PCT) suggests that consumers make privacy-based decisions by evaluating the benefits any information may bring against the risk of its disclosure, this study examines the specific risks and benefits that influence consumers' acceptance of MLBA. A conceptual model is proposed based on the existing literature and a standardised survey was developed and targeted at individuals with known interests in the subject matter. From these requests, 252 valid responses were received and used to evaluate the key benefits and risks of MLBA from the users' perspectives. While the results confirmed the importance of internet privacy concerns (IPC) as an important determinant, they also indicate that monetary rewards and intrusiveness have a notably stronger impact on acceptance intentions towards MLBA. Intrusiveness is the most important risk factor in determining mobile users' intentions to accept MLBA and therefore establishing effective means of minimising the perceived intrusiveness of MLBA can be expected to have the greatest impact on achieving effective communications with mobile phone users.