The purpose of this study is to find out how Swedish voluntary migrants communicate with friends in three different groups: friends that resides in the same country as the respondent currently lives in, friends in Sweden, friends in other countries around the globe and whether or not individual mobility, demographic factors or a sense of global citizenship affect the chosen mean of communication. The reason behind the study is to introduce a previously unstudied area into the field of geographically based media studies and hopefully contribute to a deeper understanding of the role played by different means of communication in shaping the dynamics of global friendship. The theoretical approach in this study will be from three different outlooks, migration, polymedia (including the second-level digital divide) and cosmopolitanism. The study is based on data from the Institute for Society, Opinion and Media (SOM) and their survey questionnaire sent out to Swedish expatriates during fall 2014 / winter 2015, also known as Utlands-SOM. The total number of respondents are 2268. The study starts with basic frequencies to find out which media that are the most prominent, then binary logistic regressions have been made. The total number of dependent variables are 21 and these have then been analysed from seven independent variables; age, gender, education, travel patterns, years spent abroad, number of countries lived in and whether or not the respondent consider himself/herself being a cosmopolitan. This generates a total of seven tables (one for each media) with three models in each (contact with friends in current country of residency, contact with friends in Sweden and contact with friends in other parts of the world). Amongst Swedish expatriates, e-mail and Facebook are the two most popular media for keeping in touch with friends, regardless of the friends location. The most significant demographic variable is age. Usage of video call, text message, chat, Facebook and other social media tend to decrease with age. Every year spent abroad decreases the communication with friends in Sweden, but increases the communication in the current country of residency. The number of countries lived in have a positive effect on communication with friends in other parts of the world. Cosmopolitan self-identity is found to be most significant when communicating with friends in other parts of the world, and it also affects e-mail the most. Level of education, which in previous studies have been found closely linked to a cosmopolitan identity, is found to have no significant correlation. Arguably, this is explained by the other means of communications negative relationship with the variable. / Syftet med denna studie är att ta reda på hur svenskar som frivilligt emigrerat utomlands kommunicerar med vänner inom tre olika grupper: vänner som bor i samma land som respondenten för tillfället lever i, vänner i Sverige samt vänner bosatta i övriga länder världen över. Detta sätts i perspektiv med huruvida den individuella mobiliteten, demografiska faktorer eller en känsla av ett världsmedborgarskap påverkar det valda kommunikationsmedlet. Denna studie ämnar att introducera ett tidigare förbisett forskningsområde inom geografiskt baserade mediestudier och därigenom förhoppningsvis bidra till forskningsfältet genom en fördjupad förståelse om kommunikationsmediers roll för vänskapsdynamik på global skala. Det teoretiska ramverk som utgör studiens grund är tre stycken skilda delar, migration, polymedia (inklusive en andra gradens digital klyfta) och kosmopolitism. Denna studie bygger på data från Institutet för Samhälle, Opinion och Media (SOM), och deras undersökning ställd till utlandssvenskar (Utlands-SOM) från hösten 2014 / vintern 2015. Totalt antal respondenter är 2268. Först görs en enkel frekvenstabeller för att undersöka vilket/vilka de primära medierna är i varje grupp, därefter har binära logistiska regressioner körts. Det totala antalet beroende variabler som behandlas är 21. Dessa sätts i perspektiv med ålder, kön, utbildning, resemönster, antal år utomlands, antal boendeländer och om respondenten anser sig vara världsmedborgare eller ej. Detta genererar totalt sju tabeller (en för varje media), med tre modeller i varje (kontakt med vänner i nuvarande boendeland, kontakt med vänner i Sverige och kontakt med vänner i övriga världen). Utlandssvenskarnas favoritmedium för att hålla kontakten med vänner, oavsett var vännerna befinner sig, visade sig vara e-post och Facebook. Den mest signifikanta demografiska variabeln visade sig vara ålder. Användandet av videosamtal, SMS, chatt, Facebook och andra sociala medier visade sig minska med högre ålder. För varje år respondenterna spenderar utomlands minskar oddsen för kommunikationen med Sverige, men ökar i det nuvarande boendelandet. Antalet länder som respondenterna har bott i har en positiv inverkan på kommunikationen med vänner i övriga världen. Den kosmopolitiska identiteten är mest signifikant när det kommer till att kommunicera med vänner i övriga världen och den påverkar även e-post som medium allra mest positivt. Utbildningsnivå, vilket sedan tidigare studier funnits vara tätt länkat med en kosmopolitisk identitet, visade sig inte vara signifikant i denna undersökning. Detta kan förklaras genom de andra kommunikationsmediernas negativa förhållande med variabeln.

This paper deals theoretically and empirically with the issue of traditional media openness towards Internet non-users and its perception among non-users themselves. The theoretical part of the work outlines the problem of inequality in the information society and how specific content of messages in selected traditional media can contribute to these inegualities. The second part examines through a pilot content analysis the nature of the media content in the traditional Czech mass media with regard to the possibility of interaction and participation with the media and the usage of links to the digital content. On this basis, semi-structured interviews examine perception and reflection of such phenomena on a selected group of elderly non-users. The conclusion of this work consists of the introduction of the scheme of factors influencing the extent of perceived discrimination among non-users of the Internet in relation to traditional mass media.

With the advent of digital technology into our lives, the fact that the socially weakest stratum of society is lagging behind in digital literacy is becoming increasingly apparent. This problem is referred to as the second form of the digital divide. Since it has not yet been sufficiently examined, we carried out qualitative research using the grounded theory method, aimed at identifying the causes leading to this second form of the digital divide and defining the development model for this inequality. The collection of data was conducted by means of students solving tasks focused on digital literacy. In the course of this process, the computer screen was recorded and the entire investigator-student communication was captured on an audio track. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students and their teachers. On the basis of analysis of the data, we created a theory of learning to handle an unknown software program. The process of learning exposes the student to various problems. The strategy used by each student to address these is chosen by the person depending on their previous knowledge of and experience with similar situations, particularly with similar software. The effectiveness of the applied strategy is overseen by the student's metacognitive control mechanisms. On the basis of the results obtained, the student's learning may (or may not) occur that improves the person's knowledge and skills, thus influencing how he/she addresses similar problems in the future. We see the benefits of our theory in describing a process of independent learning in the specific world of digital technologies. This can make the theory highly beneficial for teaching informatics. On the basis of this theory we described differences between socially excluded students and the majority in learning how to handle unknown programs. On the basis of our research, we believe in the long term that the difference in speed of lifelong learning in the field of handling digital technologies is the root cause of the emergence of the digital divide. During data analysis we identified a total of eight factors influencing the speed of lifelong learning in this sector; half of these also directly affect the level of digital literacy through the ability to solve problems. The resulting theory describes the lifelong process of the emergence of the digital divide. We see the main gain of our work in the identification of the process of emergence of the digital divide.

The advent of the internet has resulted in the development from mail, radio and telephonic modes of delivery to electronic mode of delivery in distance education. It has been predicted that the impact of the internet on distance and online education will result in benefits such as wider reach of learners who might be disadvantaged by geographical locations and distance, greater flexibility and increased convenience for distance and online learners. However, the envisaged benefits seem to be elusive as a result of a range of impediments, including issues related to the digital divide. In this case study, focused on on-line students at a college of distance and open education in Botswana, students perceptions’ of both the benefits of and the impediments to their study are described, together with their perceptions of support strategies. Findings indicate the need for support strategies consistent with the nature of online learning in the 21st century. In particular, the findings of this study suggest that Web 2.0 technologies have the potential to enhance learner support, and that there is a need for careful exploration of the ways in which such technologies can be exploited and applied in support of on-line learners.

Syfte och frågeställningar: Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka hur svenska pensionärer ser på sin användning av sociala medier och på vilka sätt som sociala medier upplevs påverka både skapandet och upprätthållandet av relationer med den nära omgivningen. Studien ämnar även undersöka hur de uppfattar eventuella konsekvenser av sitt lägre deltagande i sociala medier, i relation till digitalt utanförskap.   Hur beskriver pensionärer 67 år och äldre sitt användande av sociala medier?   Hur upplever pensionärer att sociala medier har förändrat deras sätt att skapa och upprätthålla relationer med sin omgivning?   Om deltagandet i sociala medier är lågt, hur upplever pensionärer att det kan medföra konsekvenser för att upprätthålla relationer med sin omgivning?   På vilka sätt kan användandet av sociala medier bidra till att nyttja eller öka individers sociala kapital? Metod och material: Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och det empiriska materialet består av fokusgruppsdiskussioner med sammanlagt 17 seniorer (67-86 år).   Huvudresultat: Majoriteten av deltagarna uppgav att de använder sociala medier på daglig basis och att deras kommunikation med omgivningen har påverkats av sociala medier. Vidare beskriver respondenterna att ett lågt deltagande inte nödvändigtvis hänvisas till ett digitalt utanförskap – och att sociala medier är ett verktyg för att nyttja sitt sociala kapital.

Thesis advisor: Stephen Pfohl / The purpose of this study is to investigate the new media ecologies of urban, low-income youth and youth of color, and how they develop literacies and competencies around technology in the particular spaces of Community Technology Centers (CTCs), while placing them within their broader technological experiences and raced, classed, and gendered identities. This study builds on the concept of youth as experiencing a "new media ecology" in which youth engagement with technology is understood as a phenomenon which connects all spheres of experience. Through this work, I refine the understanding of how marginalized young people engage with technology in order to expand our understanding of digital inequality and its effects, as well as how digital inequality and inclusion interact with young people's identities and social worlds more broadly. Young people, marginalized by their raced, classes, and gendered identities, are both accused of being wasteful in their technology engagement, and are welcomed into these non-traditional learning spaces in order to cultivate their uses of technology into more meaningful and productive outcomes. There is a growing proliferation of informal and creative digital learning programs, and corresponding research and interrogation of the activities within these spaces. However, we lack a full and holistic understanding of who these young people are as technological citizens and consumers, an understanding that is necessary to inform effective interventions around digital inequality. Through qualitative research within two Boston-area Community Technology Centers, including participant observation and interviews, this study presents an analysis of how young people as agentic individuals interact with the contexts they enter into to produce new forms of agency and disempowerment. Rather than focusing on one area of the digital learning environment or youth technological experience, as other researchers have done, I delineate a more complete and dialogic view of less-advantaged young people and their technological engagement. My findings build on the need for supportive informal technology learning environments for marginalized youth, both in terms of providing stable environments with rich resources for technological exploration and skill-building, as well as providing learning environments which valorize and encourage youth agency and identity work. It is also necessary to recognize and allow for differences among youth in these spaces, who vary not only in terms of race, class, and gender, but also skills, abilities, interests, and motivations. I also call attention to the ways in which structural inequalities enter into these informal learning environments, resulting in their reproduction. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology.

A tecnologia da informação e comunicação (TIC) tem se tornado cada vez mais comum no cotidiano da sociedade atual. Diversas são as facilidades disponibilizadas para os indivíduos habilitados no uso da TIC. Entretanto, estar habilitado em TIC não corresponde apenas a aspectos de conforto; a falta dessa habilitação restringe oportunidades importantes. Destaca-se a relevância deste conhecimento no ambiente acadêmico, no qual os alunos são constantemente chamados à execução de atividades apoiadas por computadores e aplicativos. Para ingressar no mercado de trabalho, nas mais diversas áreas de atuação, tem-se exigido o prévio preparo relacionado aos conhecimentos e habilidades sobre a TIC. Felizmente, os dispositivos de TIC têm se tornado cada vez mais acessíveis à população em geral, e os aplicativos também têm oferecido usabilidade cada vez mais intuitiva. Ainda assim, constata-se que a autoaprendizagem sobre TIC é restrita a alguns aspectos específicos, e ainda considerada insuficiente para um preparo minimamente adequado. Como agravante, as ações de incorporação da TIC no ensino público brasileiro ainda são malsucedidas. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal a definição de critérios para avaliação da Alfabetização Computacional (AC), correspondente à identificação do conjunto relevante de conhecimentos e habilidades de TIC, aplicada a alunos do ensino médio. Para atender a esse objetivo, os principais aspectos da AC foram extraídos da literatura por meio de uma revisão sistemática, e submetidos à análise de especialistas pela aplicação da Técnica Delphi. Os aspectos de TIC identificados como mais relevantes pelos especialistas para AC são: ética, ferramentas de busca, privacidade, segurança e vírus. Em complemento, este estudo também visa descrever como as instituições de ensino médio e as empresas avaliam a relevância dos conhecimentos e habilidades de AC. Os dados coletados possibilitaram uma análise comparativa de pontos de vista distintos dos docentes, pesquisadores e empresas sobre o tema. Concluiu-se que a conectividade corresponde ao elemento central da AC na atualidade, com base no conjunto de aspectos classificados como mais relevantes pela metodologia de pesquisa aplicada. / Information and communication technology (ICT) has become increasingly common in the daily life of today\'s society. Many conveniences are made available to all individuals by using ICT. However, knowledge of ICT does not refer only to aspects of comfort; the lack of this competence restricts important opportunities. Noteworthy is the great importance of this knowledge in the academic environment, in which students are constantly required to perform activities supported by computers and applications. In order to enter the job market, in several areas, prior preparation related to knowledge and skills on ICT is required. Fortunately, ICT devices have become increasingly accessible to the population in general, and applications have also been offering increasingly intuitive usability. Still, it appears that ICT self-learning is restricted to some specific aspects, and considered insufficient for a minimally adequate preparation. To make matters worse, the learning of ICT in Brazilian public schools is still insufficient. This dissertation aims at defining some criteria for assessing Computer Literacy (CL), corresponding to an identification of the relevant body of knowledge regarding ICT skills, to be applied to high school students. In order to meet this goal, the main aspects of CL were extracted from literature by a systematic review, and submitted to expert analysis by Delphi Technique. The aspects of ICT identified as the most important ones by experts at CL are: ethics, search engines, privacy, security and viruses. In addition, this study also aims at describing how high school institutions and companies evaluate the relevance of CL knowledge and skills. The collected data has allowed a comparative analysis of different points of view of teachers, researchers and companies on the subject. We have concluded that connectivity represents the central element of CL nowadays, based on the set of issues classified as the most relevant by the research methodology.

Mobile augmented reality has become an influential tool for digital content representation and visualization of media content in terms of enhancing users' experience and improving the adaptability and usability of typical augmented reality applications, such as in e-commerce shopping, virtual museum, or digital heritage scenarios. This research proposes a new Service Oriented Mobile AR Architecture called SOMARA, which includes a novel mobile AR client application. SOMARA takes advantage the ability to integrate third party content through service orientation. The SOMARA architecture enhances traditional standalone mobile AR applications with embedded media content by uniquely integrating a web service framework into an augmented reality client application to create more efficient and flexible mobile augmented reality applications that efficiently supports novel media content acquisition and visualization through appropriate access parameters. The proposed architecture requires access to media content through specific media content service providers, e.g. a museum commissioning an augmented reality based museum interactive — predetermined media content, or any third party with their own service APIs, e.g. the Victoria and Albert Museum API — related external media content. This approach allows relevant third party media content to be ‘mashed' via their public API with museums' augmented reality interactive's ‘embedded' media content in the SOMARA mobile AR client. In this way novel mobile AR interactive applications, such as a museum augmented reality interactive, can be created based on particular museum environment scenarios that integrate a museum visitor's experience with the interactive's cultural objects. Such experiences based on a SOMARA type museum augmented reality interactive can also be saved allowing visitors to take home their museum experience. SOMARA thus allows museum interactive experiences based on visualization of museums and third party media content physically located in the museum to be migrated to the visitor's home environment for further study, enjoyment and understanding. This unique feature, ability to effectively replay the experience at home, of the proposed system utilizes service-orientation to integrate third party media content, which is currently deficient from commercial augmented reality solutions.

This research examines the social use of the Internet at the level of specified online users in conservative Arab societies, who are called in this thesis online lead users. These specified lead users are the ones who are influential in shaping the innovation processes due to their leading role of practice in finding solutions to their needs and problems they have experienced before the emergence of online social networks such as the lack of public sphere and independent civic organizations etc., which led them to utilize the Internet as their new public space to pursue their goals through their online initiatives and collective actions to apply the social change they seek for their societies under the existence of society social norms and censorship. The research has been carried out as mixed-method study, the gathered data done through means of quantitative and qualitative methods, and the chosen country to conduct the research were Saudi Arabia. A survey questionnaire link were distributed among the targeted online lead users in the country under study, and the author chose three cases form the country under study for the qualitative part. The research sought to examine to what extent society social norms and censorship influence online lead user's expression and behaviours, and their effect on the formulation of their online activities and collective actions, and analyzing the characteristics of online lead user's. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it contribute to the gap in the literature on the use of Internet in conservative Arab societies by providing insight into the roles that social norms play in influencing online behaviour, particularly in communities that are seeking to discuss social issues or mobilize collective action, and analysing online lead users characteristic to distinguish between conservative and cosmopolitan ones using the Right-Wing authoritarian measurement.

Orientador: Cassia Leticia Carrara Domiciano / Banca: Fausto Orsi Medola / Banca: Deborah Viviane Ferrari / Resumo: Essa dissertação de mestrado apresenta uma investigação com foco no Design Gráfico Inclusivo aplicado à área da Educação. Propõe uma revisão bibliográfica em áreas como o design gráfico, design inclusivo, design educacional, necessidades educacionais especiais, educação especial, tecnologias assistivas, inclusão digital e acessibilidade web, além de reflexões a respeito do desenvolvimento de materiais digitais acessíveis, que possam atender também às crianças com necessidades específicas de aprendizagem. Objetiva analisar, comparar e gerar diretrizes e parâmetros projetuais em design gráfico para o desenvolvimento de objetos de aprendizagem digitais que sejam acessíveis ao público infantil, contemplando tanto crianças normotípicas, como aquelas com necessidades educacionais especiais, como dislexia, cegueira, baixa-visão, daltonismo, surdez e baixa-audição, visando inovar os métodos de ensino-aprendizagem para esse público. Elenca, compara e analisa recomendações de acessibilidade relacionados à identidade gráfica de um ambiente digital (tipografia, cores, mídias, elementos interativos e de acessibilidade web), provindos de pesquisas teóricas e dos órgãos de fomento a acessibilidade: WCAG (2014) e E-MAG (2014), de caráter exploratório descritivo e empírico. Pretende ainda, por meio de pesquisa de campo, com a aplicação de um objeto de aprendizagem digital inclusivo a uma amostra de conveniência de nove usuários e auxílio da tecnologia de eye-tracking, colocar à prova recomend... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This dissertation presents an investigation focusing on the Inclusive Graphic Design applied to the area of Education. It proposes a bibliographic review in areas such as graphic design, inclusive design, educational design, special educational needs, special education, assistive technologies, digital inclusion and web accessibility, as well as reflections on the development of accessible digital materials that can atend children with specific learning needs. It aims to analyze, compare and generate design guidelines and parameters in graphic design for the development of digital learning objects that are accessible to children, contemplating both normotypic children and those with special educational needs such as dyslexia, blindness, low vision, color blindness, deafness and low-hearing, aiming to innovate teaching-learning methods for this audience. Lists, compares and analyzes accessibility recommendations related to the graphic identity of a digital environment (typography, colors, media, interactive elements and web accessibility), coming from theoretical research and from the agencies promoting accessibility: WCAG (2014) and E-MAG (2014), with a descriptive and empirical exploratory character. It also intends, through field research, to apply an inclusive digital learning object to a convenience sample of nine users and aid in eye-tracking technology, to test design recommendations for the development of digital materials, which children with or without special educati... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre