<p> With the rapid growth of technology and a fast pace society, students have discovered tablet computers, a powerful portable useful device for education. Although studies have shown rapid growth of tablet computer adaptation within education, limited research exists regarding how tablet computers are used for classroom performance, communication, and leadership among college students. The purpose of the study was to explore and understand how college students use tablet computers by interviewing undergraduate and graduate students. Interview results of 20 college students are as follows: (a) students reported that tablet computers were more portable, easier to use, and convenient devices over laptop computers; (b) in regard to classroom performance, students expressed that the use of e-text books combined with tablets was a faster method of searching for a specific subject over standard paperback books; (c) in regards to leadership, many students believed that tablets are only a tool for leaders but not an essential tool for leading people; and (d) in regard to communication, students expressed that tablet computers was an essential tool for team projects and communicating with their professors and peers while on the go. The study includes a discussion of future research in leadership&rsquo;s use of technology in the workplace, college professors&rsquo; perceptions of tablet computers in the classroom, and marketing modern tablet computers.</p>

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, August, 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-124).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-123). Also available in electronic version.

O conceito de software livre é tão antigo quanto a própria história da indústria de software. Entender a dinâmica da formação, composição, organização, interesses e limites de uma comunidade de software livre não é uma tarefa fácil. Pelo contrário, é um cenário confuso e complexo que, aparentemente, passa uma idéia de \"caos organizacional.\" A importância das comunidades de software livre cresce a cada ano, seja pela adoção do uso de desse tipo de software pelas esferas governamentais ou pela sua utilização cada vez mais, pelas corporações privadas. Isso aponta para possíveis mudanças na dinâmica do desenvolvimento de software livre no Brasil. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo constatar, sob a ótica de participantes nas comunidades de software livre, em que medida o modelo de desenvolvimento de software livre no Brasil está deixando de ser motivado por ideologia, passando a ser feito em função de oportunidades de negócios. Para tal, discutem-se aspectos relacionados às comunidades de software livre e sua inter-relação com o mercado de tecnologia da informação. / The concept of free software is almost as old as the software industry. Understanding the dynamics of formation, composition, organization, interests and limits of a free software community is not an easy task. It\'s a fuzzy and complex scene that resembles an organizational chaos. The importance of free software communities grows up every year, be it due to its adoption by the government or by the private market. These points to possible changes in the dynamics of free software development in Brazil. The following work has the objective of evidencing, by the optics of the free software communities, how much the free software development model in Brazil is leaving its ideological focus and instead being made due to business opportunities. As such free software communities related aspects are presented and its possible relation with the information technology market.

This research study identifies the role of library and information centres at the major science and technology related universities and research institutes in the six GeC countries i.e. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, in relation to the institutes/organisations research and development activities. It also had a comparative aspect in that it examined information resources and information services available in the institutes/organisations under study with users perceptions on the effectiveness and efficiency of library and information services. A survey research design utilizing questionnaires was chosen as the most appropriate and effective method for gathering the data needed with intensive interviews with academe, Deans/Directors of Library Information Centres and R&D personnel to answer the study's research questions. The different populations were queried including the Chief Executives of institutes/organisations, Deans/Directors of Library and Information Centres and selected R&D personnel associated with them. It was found that in spite of large library collections and a number of de-centralised library systems in all the universities, information services available to the R&D personnel were inadequate. The fmdings of this investigation provided the means for the development of the proposed regional and national library/information network systems for successful library and information services model presented in this study. As an alternative a GeC infonnation subsystem GCC-SIST has been recommended along with emphasis on an electronic information system.

This thesis explores the ability of data visualisation to enable knowl-edge discovery in digital collections. Its emphasis lies on time-based visualisations, such as timelines. Although timelines are among the earliest examples of graphical renderings of data, they are often used merely as devices for linear storytelling and not as tools for visual analysis. Investigating this type of visualisation reveals the particular challenges of digital timelines for scholarly research. In addition, the intersection between the key issues of time-wise visualisation and digital collections acts as a focal point. Departing from authored temporal descriptions in collections data, the research examines how curatorial decisions influence collec-tions data and how these decisions may be made manifest in timeline visualisations. The thesis contributes a new understanding of the knowledge embedded in digital collections and provides practical and conceptual means for making this knowledge accessible and usable. The case is made that digital collections are not simply represen-tations of physical archives. Digital collections record not only what is known about the content of an archive. Collections data contains traces of institutional decisions and curatorial biases, as well as data related to administrative procedures. Such ‘hidden data’ – information that has not been explicitly recorded, but is nevertheless present in the dataset – is crucial for drawing informed conclusions from dig-itised cultural collections and can be exposed through appropriately designed visualisation tools. The research takes a practice-led and collaborative approach, work-ing closely with cultural institutions and their curators. Functional prototypes address issues of visualising large cultural datasets and the representation of uncertain and multiple temporal descriptions that are typically found in digital collections. The prototypes act as means towards an improved understanding of and a critical engagement with the time-wise visualisation of col-lections data. Two example implementations put the design principles that have emerged into practice and demonstrate how such tools may assist in knowledge discovery in cultural collections. Calls for new visualisation tools that are suitable for the purposes of humanities research are widespread in the scholarly community. However, the present thesis shows that gaining new insights into digital collections does not only require technological advancement, but also an epistemological shift in working with digital collections. This shift is expressed in the kind of questions that curators have started seeking to answer through visualisation. Digitisation requires and affords new ways of interrogating collections that depart from putting the collected artefact and its creator at the centre of human-istic enquiry. Instead, digital collections need to be seen as artefacts themselves. Recognising this leads curators to address self-reflective research questions that seek to study the history of an institution and the influence that individuals have had on the holdings of a collection; questions that so far escaped their areas of research.

Information technology (IT) plays an important role in contemporary organisations and this role continues to expand in scope and complexity and affects business operations dramatically. Advances in the IT industry have caused major changes in every industry sector. The banking industry is no exception and it has undergone a dramatic change over the past few decades. With the coming of the information age, IS investments are becoming increasingly important to banks` survival, growth and prosperity. IS managers are under increasing pressure to justify the value and contribution of IS expenditure to the productivity, quality and competitiveness of the organisation. This study aims to propose a model which investigates the success of information systems in the banking industry in order to help bank managers to evaluate the success of their IS, to be able to develop these systems and to improve the performance of bank managers and employees. Given that the ultimate dependent variable for this research is individual impacts, DeLone and McLean (2003) updated IS success model is leveraged and extended in this research. The study proposes a research model which is guided by the decision to select a suitable number of key potential demographic and situational variables, in addition to the adoption of DeLone and McLean (2003) updated model. This model proposes that a variety of factors were found to affect IS success in general, however, from the socio-technical viewpoint, IS success should capture both technological and human elements. Therefore, an effective Banking Information System (BIS) typically requires an appropriate combination of both. As such, Thus, the technological dimensions (i.e. system, service and information quality) and the human dimensions (e.g. user satisfaction, perceived system benefits, user involvement, user training, age, education and system use) can be a good starting point when considering suitable constructs for measuring BIS success. The research methodology of this study involved interviews with BIS practitioners and professionals to shape and refine the research model. Further, questionnaire survey was employed to collect data from bank managers in Egyptian banks. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using Partial Least Square (PLS) was used to test the research model. Three research models were proposed according to age groups and initial results from PLS analysis reported different results in each research model. Findings indicated that system, information and service quality, level of training, age, length of system use, user involvement and top management support were the main predictors (success constructs) of user satisfaction and individual impacts in the three proposed research models. However, the relationships between these constructs varied according to each age group of managers. The study offers important academic and practical contributions. Firstly, as a contribution to research, the study serves to extend the DeLone and McLean (2003) IS success model by introducing some key human and situational dimensions and confirming certain links in that model with the context of banking industry. The contribution to practice is especially relevant for bank CIOs, software designers and developers looking for ways to improve BIS developments by providing them with directions regarding the BIS success dimensions that should be considered to encourage bank managers to adopt and be more satisfied with BIS which in turn influence their job performance.

A dissertação apresenta uma pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória sobre o tema da Implementação de Projetos de Modernização Administrativa Municipal suportados pela TI – Tecnologia de Informação e tem como objetivo maior identificar os principais fatores facilitadores e dificultadores deste processo na administração financeira e tributária de municípios paulistas. A partir de uma revisão bibliográfica que abrange os principais aspectos teóricos, buscou-se construir e validar um modelo conceitual de pesquisa para subsidiar o estudo de projetos de modernização na área pública, levantando e analisando forças e fraquezas, motivações e resultados percebidos, respondendo e discutindo de forma apropriada a pergunta-problema inicial. Pela natureza da investigação foi utilizado o método do Estudo de Caso, tendo como unidades de análise as administrações municipais de Santo André e São Paulo. Os dados da pesquisa foram coletados através de entrevistas focadas realizadas pelo próprio pesquisador junto aos gerentes de projeto, complementadas por outras fontes de evidência como observação direta e documentação disponível. / In the present work, it has been conducted a qualitative and exploratory analyses on the major of the Modernization in the Municipal Administration. Technology of Information supports the implementation of this project, and, the principal objectives are to identify not only pros aspects but also con factors. Furthermore, these studies highlight the importance of the financial administration and taxes control of cities within São Paulo state. A well-conducted bibliographic research was undertaken in order to cover the main theoretic aspects involved. In addition to that, it is proposed a conceptual model of searching, so that it is possible to resolve the problem established. The Municipal Administrations of São Paulo and Santo André were assumed as units of investigation. All data had been collected throughout proper interviews and other pieces of evidence such as direct comment and original documentation.