Die steigende Dynamik sowie der steigende Konkurrenzdruck, dem deutsche und europäische Produktionsunternehmen aufgrund von Individualisierungs- und Globalisierungstendenzen ausgesetzt sind, erfordert neue Konzepte zur Gestaltung effizienter Prozesse und damit konkurrenzfähiger Produkte. Trotz oder gerade wegen eines vielfach hohen Automatisierungsniveaus und der damit verbundenen Komplexität sind viele Arbeitssysteme durch einen hohen Anteil an Personalkosten für technikerhaltende Arbeitsaufgaben geprägt. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt einen Ansatz vor, wie bestehende automatisierte Arbeitssysteme analysiert, bewertet und bzgl. des Personaleinsatzes optimiert werden können.

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Visual analytics of large amounts of spatio-temporal data is challenging due to the overlap and clutter from movements of multiple objects. A common approach for analyzing such data is to consider how groups of items cluster and move together in space and time. However, most methods for showing Spatio-temporal Cluster (STC) properties, concentrate on a few dimensions of the cluster (e.g. the cluster movement direction or cluster density) and many other properties are not represented. Furthermore, while representing multiple attributes of clusters in a single view existing methods fail to preserve the original shape of the cluster or distort the actual spatial covering of the dataset. In this thesis, I propose a simple yet effective visualization, FlockViz, for showing multiple STC data dimensions in a single view by preserving the original cluster shape. To evaluate this method I develop a framework for categorizing the wide range of tasks involved in analyzing STCs. I conclude this work through a controlled user study comparing the performance of FlockViz with alternative visualization techniques that aid with cluster-based analytic tasks. Finally the exploration capability of FlockViz is demonstrated in some real life data sets such as fish movement, caribou movement, eagle migration, and hurricane movement. The results of the user studies and use cases confirm the advantage and novelty of the novel FlockViz design for visual analytic tasks.

This study examines tools and practices involved in a large scale and multi-sited clinical trial of a potential drug against obesity. Two tools are in focus: a clinical research protocol and a computer control system. The analysis is based on there being different ways in which the tools are localized in order for the work to flow smoothly and to produce reliable data. It does this through delineating different types of work performed: production tasks, classical managerial work, compliance work and the work of coordinating beliefs and goals. The study is based on interviews, observations and documentary analysis. Through describing these types of work and how it is organized, the study emphasizes the trial as being part of an industrial production process. Hence, the tools are used not only to produce reliable data, but also to manage the work of the tools’ users in order to enable a smooth production process. In line with such a description, the protocol and computer control system are seen as objects that discipline practice, something that also resonates in the way staff talk about their work. The dissertation shows how the tools, despite this, leave room for aspects of clinical trial work that are both rational/technical and experiential/contingent. The dissertation also shows that obesity is enacted in different ways in the practices performed in the trial. Making sense of these somewhat contradictory enactments requires work referred to as coordination of beliefs about what obesity is, as well as of the different goals of the trial. By such a focus on invisible work, the dissertation shows that those nurses, dieticians and doctors involved in the everyday follow-through of the trial have a strategic position in mediating between pharmaceutical companies and their potential market for the drug under study, namely the trial participants.

Understanding what to do and how to complete academic tasks is an essential yet complicated academic activity. However, this area has been under-examined. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ understanding of academic tasks with qualitative and quantitative approaches. Ninety-eight students participated in this study. First, the study explored the kinds of tasks students identified as challenging, the disciplines in which these tasks were situated, the types of structures these tasks had, and challenges found in students’ task analysis activity. Second, the study examined the relationships between students’ task understanding and academic performance. The findings indicated that although students struggled with various tasks, they struggled even more when tasks became less pre-scribed. The results also showed that task understanding was statistically significantly co-related to academic performance and task understanding, particularly, implicit aspect of task understanding, predicted students’ academic performance. The findings supported Hadwin’s (2006) model of task understanding.

Teaching mathematics means teaching learners to think – wrote Polya in How to Solve It? 1957. This paper intends to offer mathematics teachers suggestions for incorporating reading, writing, and speaking practices in the teaching of mathematics. Through explicit examples and explanations we intend to share ways of engaging students in deep learning of mathematics, especially using and producing written and oral texts. More specifically, we plan to broaden and deepen teachers’ understanding of strategies for guiding students’ thinking so that they grasp mathematical concepts and processes, and also bridge the divide between mathematical processes, and written and oral communication. This paper presents a core math lessons which provides numerous opportunities for the students to get actively engaged in the lesson and think about the new concepts, algorithms and ways of solving problems/ exercises. The lesson was designed for the 7th graders (13 year-olds). It was chosen to illustrate teaching by using reading and writing for understanding math processes. The teacher’s reflections after the lesson and some samples of the students’ work and feedback are included in the paper. The material in this paper is based on the author’s own extensive teaching experience; and her work in the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking project in Romania.

第二語言學習的研究者指出，有效的單字加強練習活動可以增強學生的單字學習，然而過去相關研究的練習題形式偏重於個人學習，較缺乏同儕之間的互動學習。因此，本研究採用準實驗量化研究法，藉此探討比較閱讀後的單字互動式任務(interactive tasks)及傳統的單字練習題(vocabulary exercises)對國中生英語字彙習得(vocabulary learning)與單字學習態度(vocabulary learning attitudes)的影響。 本實驗的研究對象為桃園縣某公立國中的兩班八年級六十三位學生，所有受試者依其原本的班級被隨機指定為互動式任務組和傳統單字練習題組，兩組同學於每堂課都接受相同的閱讀文章和閱讀理解問題，並在閱讀之後進行不同的單字加強練習活動，每堂課合計為45分鐘，歷時六堂，一共練習25個單字。實驗前後，兩組受試者分別進行單字測驗及單字學習態度前後測，以瞭解學生的主要單字(target words)學習情形和學習態度轉變。資料分析採用SPSS 18.0版本，包含描述性統計、獨立樣本和成對樣本t檢定、及共變數分析。 研究結果顯示: (1)在單字學習成效方面，接受互動式任務的學生明顯優於接受傳統單字練習題的學生；(2)在辨識字彙的能力(receptive vocabulary knowledge)和應用字彙的能力(productive vocabulary knowledge)方面，互動式任務明顯地有助於提升受試者在以上下文為主的試題(選擇題和文意字彙)表現，但在無上下文的試題(中翻英和拼字)方面，兩組並無顯著差異；(3) 就受試者單字學習知識(vocabulary knowledge)質的改變而言，互動式任務組亦優於傳統單字練習題組；(4) 對於受試者的單字學習態度，兩組在認知、情意、行為及單字練習加強活動皆有某些方面的改變。 最後，本研究認為英語教師可以多設計以單字為主的互動式任務來增進學生的學習，並提出建議供未來研究為參考。 / Research into second language learning has pointed out that effective word- focused activities can facilitate students’ vocabulary learning. Yet, previous studies have been mainly focused on individual learning and on lack of interaction between peers. Therefore, the study adopted a quasi-experimental research design to compare the effects of specialized post-reading interactive vocabulary tasks and traditional vocabulary exercises on junior high school students’ vocabulary acquisition. Changes in learners’ attitudes to vocabulary learning were also investigated. Participants were 63 students from two eighth-grade classes in a junior high school in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The two classes were randomly assigned to the IT (interactive tasks) group and the VE (vocabulary exercises) group. Both groups received the same reading texts and reading comprehension questions, but they completed different vocabulary enhancing activities. Each class session was 45 minutes, and there were six class sessions, with a total of 25 target words for practice. To assess learners’ vocabulary knowledge of the target words, the two groups took pre- and post-vocabulary tests and a vocabulary learning attitude questionnaire before and after the experiment, to see if there were any attitude changes among learners throughout the study. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 18.0, including descriptive statistics, Independent Samples t-test and Paired Samples t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results are summarized as follows. First, in terms of vocabulary growth, students completing interactive tasks significantly outperformed those who received vocabulary exercises. Second, concerning receptive and productive word knowledge, interactive tasks were helpful in elevating learners’ performance on contextualized assessments like multiple-choice questions and filling-in blanks. However, in decontextualized assessments like L1 translation and spelling, there was no significant difference between the groups. Third, interactive tasks led to better performance on learners’ qualitative changes in vocabulary knowledge than did vocabulary exercises. Finally, for participants’ vocabulary learning attitudes, both groups had some changes in their cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning, and in perceptions of word-focused activities. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that English teachers design and apply more word-focused interactive tasks to enhance students’ vocabulary acquisition, and provides suggestions for future research.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has a population of just over 50 million people. However, there are only approximately 260 698 nurses according to the register of the South African Nursing Council. The nursing shortage is not only limited to South Africa, but is a global phenomenon, and this shortage is getting worse every day. Various factors can be blamed for the increasing nursing shortage. Every day nurses face demanding working hours, stressful work environments and a large shortage of resources. Nurses from private hospitals regard themselves as "overworked money-making machines". Nevertheless, the health care needed by the population of South Africa is rapidly increasing. The high prevalence of HIV/AIDS is also a challenging contributor, worsening the nursing shortage crisis. The current dysfunctional nursing situation in the healthcare facilities of South Africa reflects a negative image of the nursing profession. Consequently, the number of individuals considering nursing as a profession is decreasing. The nursing shortage is not only a threat to the wellbeing of nurses, but to the lives of millions of South Africans who need health care. A common phenomenon amongst nurses is burnout, which leads to decreased quality of care and high turnover rates and contributes to the nursing shortage. Also, other nurses experience work engagement and display organisational citizenship behaviour in the same working environments than the nurses who experience burnout. Work engagement (WE) and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) are ideal outcomes. This study investigated distinguishing factors between nurses that allow them to experience WE and exhibit OCB. The Job Demands-Resources model played an integral role in the study. Therefore, the specific focus of the study was job and personal resources, as well as job demands, as factors contributing to WE and OCB amongst nurses. Servant leadership (SL) as job resource, psychological capital (PsyCap) as personal resource, and IT (Illegitimate tasks) as job demand were identified as possible factors that explain the variance in WE and OCB. A literature review was conducted in which prominent antecedents of WE and OCB were identified. A number of hypotheses were formulated and tested by means of an ex post facto correlation design. The unit of analysis was nurses from two of the largest private hospital groups in South Africa. The nurses were employed at one hospital in Gauteng and three hospitals in the Western Cape. Data was collected from 208 nurses located within the chosen hospitals. Data collection on all five variables, namely work engagement, organisational citizenship behaviour, servant leadership, psychological capital and IT, was conducted by means of self-administered questionnaires. The measurements included in the self-administered questionnaire were selected in terms of their validity and reliability. The following measurements were included; Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Organisational Citizenship Checklist (OCB-C), Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and the Bern Illegitimate Task Scale (BITS). The data collected was analysed by means of item analyses and structural equation modelling. A PLS path analysis was conducted to determine the model fit. The most significant findings were that SL, as a job resource, and PsyCap, as a personal resource, were positively related to WE amongst nurses. The results also revealed that PsyCap was positively related to OCB. Lastly, it was found that IT, as a job demand, are negatively related to WE amongst nurses. These results support the assumptions of the JD-R model that specific job and personal resources lead to WE. The results provide guidelines regarding practical managerial implications and strategies to address the challenges experienced by nurses. The results, together with the managerial implications, made it possible to provide valuable insights and recommendations for industrial psychologists, as well as for further studies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika het ‘n bevolking van net oor die 50 miljoen mense. Daar is egter volgens die register van die Suid-Afrikaanse Verpleegkunderaad net omtrent 260 698 verpleërs. Die tekort aan verpleërs is nie net tot Suid-Afrika beperk nie, maar is ‘n globale fenomeen, en die tekort word elke dag groter. Verskeie faktore kan vir die toenemende verpleërtekort blameer word. Verpleërs word elke dag gekonfronteer met veeleisende werksure, stresvolle werksomstandighede en ‘n groot tekort aan hulpbronne. Verpleërs by privaat hospitale beskou hulleself as “oorwerkte geldmaakmasjiene”. Nietemin neem die gesondheidsorg wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking benodig word, vinnig toe. Die hoë voorkoms van MIV/VIGS is ook ‘n uitdagende bydraer wat die verpleërtekort vererger. Die huidige wanfunksionele verpleegtoestand in die gesondheidsorgfasiliteite van Suid-Afrika word weerspieël in die negatiewe beeld van die verpleegberoep. Gevolglik verminder die getal mense wat verpleging as ‘n beroep oorweeg. Die verpleërtekort bedreig nie net die welstand van verpleërs nie, maar ook die lewens van miljoene Suid-Afrikaners wat gesondheidsorg benodig. ‘n Algemene verskynsel onder verpleërs is uitbranding (burnout), wat lei tot ‘n afname in die kwaliteit van sorg en hoë omsetkoerse en bydra tot die verpleërtekort. Ander verpleërs ervaar egter werksbetrokkenheid (work engagement) en vertoon organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag (organisational citizenship behaviour) in dieselfde omgewing waar verpleërs uitbranding ervaar. Werksbetrokkenheid en organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag is ideale uitkomstes. Hierdie studie het onderskeidende faktore onder verpleërs ondersoek wat hulle toelaat om werksbetrokkenheid te ervaar en organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag te vertoon. Die model van werkseise en hulpbronne (Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model) het ‘n integrale rol in die studie gespeel. Die spesifieke fokus van die studie was dus op werks- en persoonlike hulpbronne, sowel as werkseise, as faktore wat bydra tot werksbetrokkenheid en organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag onder verpleërs. Dienaarleierskap en sielkundige kapitaal as werkshulpbronne, en illegitieme take as werkseis, is geïdentifiseer as moontlike faktore wat die verskil in betrokkenheid en organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag verklaar. ‘n Literatuuroorsig is onderneem waarin belangrike antesedente van betrokkenheid en organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag geïdentifiseer is. ‘n Aantal hipoteses is geformuleer en deur middel van ‘n ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp getoets. Die eenheid van analise was verpleërs werksaam by twee van die grootste privaathospitaalgroepe in Suid-Afrika. Die verpleërs was werksaam by een hospitaal in Gauteng en drie hospitale in die Wes-Kaap. Data is by 208 verpleërs in die gekose hospitale versamel. Dataversameling oor al vyf veranderlikes, naamlik werksbetrokkenheid, organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag, dienaarleierskap, sielkundige kapitaal en illegitieme take, is deur middel van selftoepasvraelyste versamel. Die volgende metings is ingesluit: Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Organisational Citizenship Checklist (OCB-C), Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) en die Bern Illegitimate Task Scale (BITS). Die versamelde data is deur middel van item-ontleding en struktuurvergelykingsontleding geanaliseer. ‘n Gedeeltelike kleinstekwadrate-baananalise (partial least squares path analysis) is onderneem om die passing van die model te bepaal. Die belangrikste bevindinge was dat dienaarleierskap, as ‘n werkshulpbron, en sielkundige kapitaal, as ‘n persoonlike hulpbron, positief verband hou met werksbetrokkenheid onder verpleërs. Die resultate toon ook dat sielkundige kapitaal positief verband hou met organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag. Laastens is bevind dat illegitieme take, as ‘n werkseis, negatief verband hou met werksbetrokkenheid onder verpleërs. Hierdie resultate ondersteun die aannames van die model van werkseise en hulpbronne (J-DR) dat spesifieke werks- en persoonlike hulpbronne lei tot werksbetrokkenheid. Die resultate verskaf riglyne vir praktiese bestuursimplikasies en strategieë om die uitdagings wat deur verpleërs ervaar word, aan te spreek. Die resultate, tesame met die bestuursimplikasies, het dit moontlik gemaak om waardevolle insigte en aanbevelings vir bedryfsielkundiges, asook vir verdere studies, te maak.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Currently, we seek to make the systems more oriented to end-user, reducing the distance between how the user carries out its activities and modeling these in Information Systems in Health, the doctor providing adaptive and personalized forms of use, configuration and control system, based on historical usage, or a profile. To meet these requirements, the project ClinicSpace, prototyped a software architecture that is developed from the point of view of the user (doctor), led to clinical activities, context-aware, based on mobile technologies and pervasive, and uses the techniques of programming end-user. Identify the context that affects an activity within a hospital clinic, and identify ways to express your doctor interest in a particular context, linking context to their daily activities, are the goals of this dissertation. From the identification of some basic elements of context, including the patient, device and environmental resources, was created to describe this ontological domain to be associated with clinical tasks modeled by the doctor. For introduce context associated with the tasks in the architecture ClinicSpace, changed the editing interface tasks of architecture. Moreover, various departments of the subsystems involved have been re-implemented in architecture, highlighting the Access Service Task, which was re-implemented to support the loading of the ontology that describes the tasks and context, and thus provide structures computational (objects Java) to use the Interface Editing Tasks and Context used by the doctor. Load tests were conducted to identify the impact that the solution used in the architecture introduces ClinicSpace allowing refine it and refine it for use by the system. / Atualmente, busca-se deixar os sistemas mais orientados ao usuário-final, diminuindo a distância entre a forma como o usuário realiza suas atividades e a modelagem destas nos Sistemas de Informação em Saúde, disponibilizando ao médico formas adaptativas e personalizadas de utilização, configuração e controle do sistema, baseadas em um histórico de uso ou em um perfil. Para atender tais requisitos, o projeto ClinicSpace prototipa uma arquitetura de software que é desenvolvida sob o ponto de vista do usuário (médico), orientada às atividades clínicas, consciente do contexto, baseada em tecnologias móveis e pervasivas, e utiliza técnicas da programação do usuário-final. Identificar o contexto que afeta uma atividade clinica dentro de um hospital, bem como identificar formas de o médico expressar seu interesse em um determinado contexto, associando contexto às suas atividades diárias, são os objetivos desta dissertação. A partir da identificação de alguns elementos básicos de contexto, entre eles paciente, dispositivo e recursos ambientais, foi criado a descrição ontológica deste domínio para ser associado às tarefas clínicas modeladas pelo médico. Para introduzir contexto associado às tarefas na arquitetura ClinicSpace, foi alterada a interface de edição de tarefas da arquitetura. Além disso, diversos serviços dos subsistemas envolvidos foram re-implementados na arquitetura, destacando-se o Serviço de Acesso a Tarefas, o qual foi re-implementado para suportar o carregamento da ontologia que descreve as tarefas e contexto, e, assim, disponibilizar estruturas computacionais (objetos Java) para utilização pela Interface de Edição de Tarefas e Contexto utilizada pelo médico. Testes de carga foram realizados para identificar o impacto que a solução utilizada introduz na arquitetura ClinicSpace, permitindo refiná-la e melhorá-la para uso pelo sistema.

Cette thèse établit la conditionnalité de la performance urbanistique à une réforme totale. Elle révèle un syndrome d'inefficacité générale dont le traitement des symptômes est indispensable à un tel objectif. Le spectre des symptômes inclut principalement les missions publiques problématiques, les principes et modèles de base inadéquats, une législation d'urbanisme incompatible avec les objectifs de performance urbanistique, ainsi que les pratiques déviantes ou anarchiques d'aménagement et d'équipements publics. Cette thèse montre en outre l'état de délaissement de nombreux aspects d'urbanisme au libre-arbitre des personnes privées et des organisations non gouvernementales. Les hypothèses de solutions proposées englobent un remodelage total des structures de gouvernance publique, un réglage du droit de l'urbanisme sur une théorie de performance la moins altérable possible, l'édification des préalables théoriques et structurels de la performance, ainsi qu'une réforme spécifique porteuse de la performance du droit de l'urbanisme. Cette thèse identifie divers exemples de performance susceptibles de participer au processus de cette réforme et présente une démarche méthodologique de théorisation et de mise en œuvre d'un tel droit de l'urbanisme en Haïti. Elle explique, de plus, les énormes défis de la performance de ce droit par rapport au système politique et juridique. On y trouve aussi plusieurs propositions pour le relèvement de ces défis, pour la résorption des divers obstacles identifiés, ainsi que pour l'établissement d'un système global de performance apte à porter durablement celle du droit de l'urbanisme. / This thesis establishes the conditionality of an urban planning and development performance upon a comprehensive reform in Haiti. It highlights a general inefficiency syndrome whose treatment is essential for such purpose. The range of symptoms mainly comprises problematic government tasks, inadequate basic models and principles, an urban planning law incompatible with objectives in terms of urban planning and development performance, along with anarchic and deviant practices in development and public facilities. Furthermore, this thesis outlines the state of many aspects of urban planning left to the free will of private individuals and non-governmental organizations. Hypotheses of solutions involve a complete remodeling of public governance structures, an urban planning adjusted upon a performing theory as little alterable as possible, some well-made theoretical and structural prerequisites of performance, as well as a specific reform promising a performing urban planning law. This thesis also identifies various performance examples likely to participate in this reform process and presents a theorization and implementation methodological approach of such an urban planning law in Haiti. It also explains the tremendous challenges for the performing urban planning law in relation to the political and legal system. Several propositions are included aimed at answering various challenges, removing a number of identified barriers and establishing a global management system suitable for accomplishing sustainable performance in urban planning law.