El presente trabajo sobre realidad virtual aplicada en la enseñanza de las ciencias sociales busca demostrar la viabilidad de esta tecnología como una herramienta capaz de generar un aprendizaje significativo en la enseñanza de la historia en estudiantes de sexto de primaria. Actualmente, las herramientas tecnológicas se han vuelto aliadas en el proceso de la enseñanza. Una de las tecnologías que está generando gran impacto en el ámbito educativo es la realidad virtual. Esta tecnología se viene aplicando en distintos centros de enseñanza escolar y universitaria, porque permite una mejor inmersión del usuario en los escenarios propuestos y, por consiguiente, una mayor comprensión de los temas que se están trabajando. Antiguamente, la adquisición de un equipo de realidad virtual era muy costoso, sin embargo, dicha tecnología está en una etapa en que puede ser adaptada a cualquier teléfono inteligente, solamente con la ayuda de un visor, que incluso puede ser hecho de cartón. El trabajo contempla la aplicación de un diseño pedagógico para el estudio de culturas antiguas, haciendo uso de realidad virtual con estudiantes de sexto de primaria. La metodología utilizada se guió bajo el paradigma interpretativo, con un enfoque cualitativo. Además, el método cualitativo que se utilizó fue el de la investigación-acción. En la investigación se concretó como hallazgo que el uso de la investigación acción como un diseño de investigación educativa, permite la reflexión de la práctica pedagógica. Esto permitió el análisis del impacto que tuvo dicha tecnología en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes y la efectividad de las sesiones creadas para dicho propósito. Para su puesta en práctica solo se requirió de los dispositivos móviles y de los visores hechos de cartón. / The present work on virtual reality applied in the teaching of social sciences seeks to demonstrate the viability of this technology as a tool capable of generating meaningful learning in the teaching of history in students. Currently, technological tools have become allies in the teaching process. One of the technologies that is generating a great impact in the educational field is virtual reality. This technology has been applied in different schools and universities, because it allows a better immersion of the user in the proposed scenarios and, consequently, a greater understanding of the topics that are being worked on. In the past, the acquisition of virtual reality equipment was very expensive, however, this technology is at a stage where it can be adapted to any smartphone, only with the help of a viewer, which can even be made of cardboard. The work contemplates the application of a pedagogical design for the study of ancient cultures, making use of virtual reality with sixth grade students. The methodology used was guided by the interpretive paradigm, with a qualitative approach. In addition, the qualitative method used was that of action research. In the research, it was specified as a finding that the use of action research as an educational research design allows the reflection of pedagogical practice. This occurred in the analysis of the impact that said technology had on student learning and the effectiveness of the sessions created for that purpose. For its implementation, only mobile devices and viewers made of cardboard were required. / Tess

Dans le cadre de cette maîtrise, Mélanie Frisoli s’est penchée sur un travail de compositions spatiales qui impliquent des dispositifs de haut-parleurs conséquents (de 16 à 64 haut-parleurs) et qui s’inspirent fortement de l’esthétique du paysage sonore et des théories de l’écologie sonore. Le médium multiphonique en trois dimensions (proche de notre vécu sensoriel quotidien) s’est avéré un support de choix pour expérimenter la sensibilisation aux bruits et à notre environnement sonore via la composition musicale. Mélanie a également tenté de comprendre pourquoi la spatialisation pouvait être intéressante et ce que ce paradigme proposait d’original et de sensible par rapport à la composition stéréophonique. En parallèle, la composition musicale de paysage sonore a été explorée avec tout ce qu’elle implique en tant que posture artistique. L’ensemble de ces questionnements et de ces recherches ont permis d’élaborer des stratégies compositionnelles pour la mise en espace du son sous des dômes de haut-parleurs. Sont ainsi nées trois œuvres acousmatiques (fixes sur support) et une performance en direct qui explorent les thématiques de l’espace, de la pollution sonore, de l’immersion et de la conscientisation de l’écoute. Enfin, différentes technologies pour la spatialisation du son sont présentées dans ce mémoire, avec un intérêt particulier apporté à celle utilisée dans ce travail de recherche-création. Mélanie Frisoli a également développé cinq outils informatiques afin de mieux appréhender le travail de spatialisation et de faciliter l’intégration du paramètre d’espace au processus de composition. / As part of this master’s degree, Mélanie Frisoli worked on spatial compositions that involve substantial loudspeaker devices (16 to 64 loudspeakers) and are strongly inspired by the aesthetics of soundscape composition and the theories of sound ecology. Due to its close connection to our daily sensory experience, the three-dimensional multiphonic medium was ideal for experiencing awareness of noises and our sound environment through musical composition. She also attempted to understand why spatialization could be interesting and what was original and sensitive compared to stereo compositions. In parallel, the musical composition of soundscape was used to study what it implies as an artistic posture. All these questions and research led to the development of compositional strategies for setting sound in space under loudspeaker domes. Three acousmatic works (fixed on support) and a live performance were created, all of which explore themes such as space, sound pollution, immersion, and awareness of listening. Finally, Mélanie presented various existing technologies for sound spatialization in this thesis, but mainly focused on the one used in this research-creation work. She also developed five computer tools to support her work in spatialization and facilitate the integration of the space parameter within the composition process.

Quality and effective student support service (SSS) is a critical demand in the ever-changing landscape of distance education. It is common knowledge that distance education students need continuous support during their studies in order to cope with academic demands while attending to other key activities. This study set out to evaluate the implementation of SSS at the Namibia University of Science and Technology Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning (NUST COLL) at different regional centres across Namibia. The objectives of the study were to: identify problems and challenges experienced with the current implementation of SSS, determine the needs of the distance students and propose recommendations for the improvement of SSS at the regional centres. In an attempt to realise the objectives of the study, the study incorporated both quantitative and qualitative research design to collect data, by making use of questionnaires, open-ended questions and interviews. The participants included 8 regional coordinators (RC) who were purposively selected and 109 distance students who were selected through stratified and convenience sampling techniques from seven COLL regional centres. It was evident from the findings that most students opted for distance education as it allows them to work and study. Furthermore, many students have been studying for many years without getting any qualification. While NUST was providing different SSS, the findings brought to light some challenges such as the shortage of technological tools, understaffed regional centres, and unavailability of support services on weekends and public holidays and lack of collaboration between marker-tutors, lecturers and regional face-to-face tutors. It is proposed that the current model of SSS should be redesigned to respond to challenges facing distance education students at the regional centres. A model for implementation of SSS was developed to pave the way for effective implementation geared towards reducing the dropout rates and increase success rates. Key terms: Implementation of student support services, technological tools, model for implementation, regional coordinators, academic demands, increase success rates, regional centres, distance education, regional centres, and dropout rates. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This dissertation is an empirically responsive philosophical exploration into the incorporation of technological tools within a framework comprising the structures of experience laid out in the early phenomenological tradition and an analysis of agency drawing from the analytical tradition. Technological tools have become so deeply integrated in our lives that they function like a part of us, transforming what we feel we can do and even who we are. Although new spaces of autonomous agency have been opened up, since the inner workings of technological tools can remain invisible, we risk diminishing our own capacities. Since we are fundamentally embedded in the world, we cannot understand ourselves without reference to the world and we cannot understand the world without reference to the way we are. The uniqueness involved in our use of technological tools grows out of a more primordial uniqueness that makes technological tool use possible and sets us apart from our closest evolutionary relatives. Several animals extend their physical influence on the environment by means of tools. We humans, however, use tools to extend our cognitive abilities as well. And since the computer is the most universal human tool, which can be put to sensorimotor and cognitive purposes alike, we take the computer to be...

This diploma thesis deals with the ethical aspect of parental mediation and children's privacy on the internet. The aim of the work is to, using a qualitative research, assess how Czech parents perceive the privacy of their children on the internet, what ethical boundaries their media- educational approach has and what moral dilemmas they may possibly face. Furthermore, what Czech parents think of technical restrictions in the form of apps, software, locks and covert monitoring of the child. For data collection, the author chose in-depth interviews with parents of children aged 9-17. The work is divided into theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part engages in placing parental mediation in a broader context, and discusses in detail styles of parental mediation, with emphasis on the restrictive approach, its technical tools and covert monitoring. Subsequently, it deals with the topic of ethics, privacy and trust in parental mediation. In the empirical part, the author presents and justifies the chosen methodology, sample, and describes the progress of data collection. The key chapter "data analysis" answers the main and partial research questions, and the results are processed and interpreted. The results of the research show that some Czech parents do have ethical dilemmas in parental...