Les univers fictionnels qui accueillent les connexions à distance de plusieurs joueurs comptent parmi les premières expériences de communication et de coopération à distance, médiatisées par les techniques informatiques. Longtemps réservés à un public d'initiés, ils connaissent un essor important au milieu des années 2000. Les jeux en ligne multijoueurs à univers persistant (Massive Multiplayer Online Games : MMOG) apparaissent conjointement à la connexion des technologies informatiques ainsi qu'à celle de diverses cultures et pratiques ludiques populaires. En débordant des cadres conceptuels jusqu'alors réservés au jeu électronique, ils incitent les chercheurs à renouveler les réflexions portées sur ces objets, tout comme les perceptions classiques de l'activité de jeu.L'analyse exposée dans ce mémoire de thèse a été réalisée à partir d'observations participantes menées entre 2006 et 2008 au sein du studio de développement d'un MMOG, ainsi qu'entre 2008 et 2010 dans le jeu World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment). Nous abordons ici les univers ludiques en ligne comme les occurrences singulières de la construction et du partage d'un monde d'objets, de représentations et de pratiques. Les principales questions qui découlent de cette perspective sont articulées autour des thèmes dominants que sont la conception et la pratique. Elles interrogent la distribution de l'autorité sur la définition des mondes de l'activité de jeu que sont les univers ludiques en ligne, et portent pour ce faire une attention particulière à la place que les technologies de l'information et de la communication occupent dans le processus de redéfinition continue des univers ludiques partagés en ligne. / Inexistant

Smartphones are innovations that currently provide immense benefits and convenience to users in society. However, not all the users of society are accepting and using smart phones, more specifically, for this research study older adults (50+) are a demographic group displaying such an attitude. Currently, there is minimal knowledge of the reasons that older adults adopt and use smartphones. Bearing this in mind, this research study aimed to identify, examine and explain the adoption and usage of smartphones in the UK within the 50 years old and above population. For this purpose, a conceptual framework, a Model of Smartphone Adoption (MOSA) was formed drawing factors from the theories of Unified theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the Diffusion of Innovations theory (DoI) and Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3). Seven variables from the theories were brought to consideration, which were Observability, Social influence, Compatibility, Effort expectancy, Facilitation conditions, Performance expectancy and Perceived enjoyment. For the research method, a quantitative approach was selected to examine and apply MOSA that involved the data collection method of an online questionnaire survey that resulted in 204 completed replies during the pilot phase of this research and 984 in the final phase. The collected data was analysed using SEM-PLS where the results found that six of the eight formed hypotheses were supported, and the factors of Compatibility, Effort expectancy, Facilitation condition, Performance expectancy and Perceived enjoyment were important for the adoption of smartphones. From these results, it was understood that older adults used smartphones because they have enough knowledge, time and money to use. They also think that smartphones are easy to use, provide benefits including enjoyment and are compatible with their lifestyles. In terms of usage, older adults frequently used the basic features of smartphones such as making a phone call, SMS, email, and browsing. Older adults are also likely to use their devices for seeking information about their health and for appointments with their doctors; however, from this research it was found that more than half of the 50 years old and above adults did not use smartphones for health and well-being purposes. The contributions of this research are viewed to be the identification and understanding of the factors that encourage or inhibit smartphones use within the older adult population. Secondly, this research can inform smartphone manufacturers and developers of factors pertinent for the design of computing devices and applications specific to silver surfers. Finally, this research can enlighten policy makers when forming decisions that encourage the adoption and use of smartphones within the older adult population. Regarding limitations, these existed in the form of finance and time. To overcome the limitations, this research recommends further studies that apply qualitative research and/or to provide a comparison between western and eastern countries.

L’objectif général de la présente thèse est d’évaluer dans quelle mesure la grammaire des verbes, aussi appelée complémentation verbale, peut être basée sur l’usage de la langue. La linguistique de l’usage (usage-based approach) constitue un récent changement de paradigme dans les sciences du langage, qui défend l’idée que la grammaire est un inventaire dynamique d’unités symboliques qui émergent et sont constamment redéfinies par l’usage de la langue. En adoptant une approche constructionnelle de la complémentation verbale et sur la base de données de l’anglais, nous traitons la question de la relation entre la grammaire des verbes et leur usage à trois niveaux d’organisation.Au niveau des verbes, nous comparons des résultats expérimentaux à des données de corpus, et trouvons que les plus fréquentes valences d’un verbe sont traitées plus facilement, ce qui montre que la valence est basée sur l’usage. Au niveau des constructions, nous montrons que, dans le cas de la construction conative, il est possible de formuler le sens d’une construction sur la base du sens des verbes en se plaçant au niveau de classes sémantiques, mais moins facilement au niveau le plus abstrait. Nous considérons ceci comme une preuve supplémentaire de l’importance des schémas de bas niveau sur les généralisations abstraites. Au niveau des alternances, nous suggérons que la productivité verbale peut être basée sur des relations d’alternances. Nous montrons que l’alternance dative présente une asymétrie en productivité, et que cette asymétrie peut être expliquée par des différences correspondantes en termes du nombre de verbes utilisés dans chaque construction. / The general goal of this thesis is to investigate to what extent the grammar of verbs, also called argument realization, can be based on linguistic usage. The usage-based approach is a recent paradigm shift in linguistics which takes the view that grammar is a dynamic inventory of symbolic conventions that emerges through, and is likewise shaped by, actual language use. Adopting a constructional approach to argument structure and on the basis of English data, we address the question of the usage basis of argument realization at three levels of organization.At the level of verbs, we compare experimental results to usage data, and find that more frequent valency patterns of a verb are processed more easily. These findings provide evidence for the usage basis of valency. At the level of constructions, we show that, in the case of the conative construction, it is possible to formulate constructional generalizations on the basis of verbal meaning at the level of semantically defined verb classes, but not so easily at the most abstract level. We take this as further evidence of the importance of lower-level schemas over broad generalizations. At the level of alternations, we present usage-based evidence that productivity can be based on alternation relations. We report that the dative alternation displays a productivity asymmetry, and we show that these differences can be explained by corresponding asymmetries in type frequencies.

Bröd är något människan har ätit länge och som setts som en basvara. Det har också varit en statussymbol förr i tiden då det främst var kungligheter som hade tillgång till de finaste bröd av vete. Numera är bröd något de flesta äter till vardags samt till högtid, hemma och på restaurang. Kavring och tunnbröd är två klassiska bröd som anses har haft stor inverkan i Götalands och Norrlands brödhistoria. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vad kavring och tunnbröd har för användning i nutid i Malmö stad och Umeå tätort för att se hur det skiljer sig från förr. För att uppnå ett resultat och svara på syftet har kvantitativa metoder såsom strukturerade observationer, the critical incident technique samt information om försäljning från affärerna använts. Detta har gjort att studenterna lyckats styrka de resultat som nåtts och kunnat öka tillförlitligheten och äktheten i arbetet. I Malmö visade det sig att de som tog kavring använde det till smörgås och lika många använde det i vardagen som vid högtider. Vad gäller mjukt tunnbröd i Malmö så var det vanligast att använda det till måltiderna frukost och mellanmål, där smörgås var största användningsområdet. I Umeå var det en människa som tog kavring och denne använde det till smörgås vid frukost i vardagen. Mjukt tunnbröd i Umeå var något de flesta av deltagarna använde till frukost och att göra smörgåsar. Majoriteten svarade att de använde det i vardagen men fanns även några som svarade högtid som till exempel födelsedag. Det hårda tunnbrödet var störst i Umeå där många av deltagarna svarade att de vuxit upp med brödet och att det alltid var en del av vardagen. I Malmö används kavring till sill och oftast i samband högtider medan tunnbröd används till smörgås i vardagen. Kavring i Umeå utifrån denna studie används främst som smörgås i vardagen medan tunnbrödet var vanligt förekommande vid högtid och vardag. Som smörgås, till maten och som efterrätt är några användningssätt av tunnbröd som idag förekommer i Umeå tätort. / Bread has been a primary source of food in households for a long time. In the 16th century bread made of wheat was considered a high-status bread mostly because it was consumed only by royals. Nowadays bread is something most of the people eat every day but also at weekends and holidays, at home or in restaurants. The sweet rye bread from the south and the flatbread from the north are classical breads that has influenced the history of bread in the two provinces Norrland and Götaland. The aim with this study were to examine how the traditional sweet rye bread and flatbread are used today in the cities of Malmö and Umeå. To be able to fulfil the aim of this study the students have used a quantitative method such as structured observation, the critical incident technique as well as sales numbers from the previous year from each store. In Malmö sweet rye bread were used for sandwiches and with pickled herring. Equally used in holidays and regular weekdays. Flatbread in Malmö where mostly used for breakfast or as a snack. One person in Umeå chose sweet rye bread and used it as a sandwich at breakfast. Soft flatbread was widely used at breakfast as sandwiches in Umeå. Most the participants used the bread at weekdays but some of them ate it at holidays. In Umeå the hard flatbread was the most common bread among the participants. Several of them answered that the hard flatbread was a part of their childhood and upbringing and therefore a given product to have at home. In Malmö the usage of sweet rye bread is mostly with pickled herring, usually combined with holidays while the flatbread is something that people eat at weekdays as a sandwich. Sweet rye bread in Umeå based on this study shows that its most common as a sandwich at weekdays while the flatbread were common both at the holidays and the weekdays. As a sandwich, with your meal and as a dessert are some of the ways the flatbread is used in Umeå today.

Usage-based approaches to Second Language Acquisition (SLA) hold that grammatical development can at least in part be explained by a trajectory from initially entrenched formulaic chunks of linguistic material through partially abstract low-scope patterns to abstract constructions. Although earlier empirical research found little to support such a trajectory, more recent research suggests that when the methodological focus is on the breakdown of tokens not on the acquisition of abstract morphology formulaic chunks do seem to develop into at least low-scope patterns. What is not clear from these later studies, however, is why users select tokens from the environment, how these selections are repurposed to meet communicative needs and what grammatical development may be the result of such repurposing. Drawing on insights into usage-based approaches to SLA in general, and specifically predictions that the analogical processing of similar tokens can explain in part a trajectory from tokens in the linguistic environment to abstract constructions, this study investigates whether intervention in the form of task demands and written task productions can drive the selection and repurposing of task-relevant input, and whether such repurposing may influence the development of past-counterfactual constructions in instructed SLA. The study uses a classroom-based pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design with pre-sessional university students in intact classes (n=92). Out of the three groups in the study, one group were exposed to instances of past counterfactuals which were identical to the forms needed for task completion in terms of function and lexical items (Literal Group). A second group were exposed to instances which called for the same function but different lexical items for successful task completion (Analogous Group), while a third group were not exposed to input. Results show that the analogous processing of task-relevant tokens led to positive and significant gains on most acceptability judgment and production test measures. Regression models further show that the selection of tokens explained very little variance, while analogical processing, operationalised as the repurposing of tokens to fit task demands, explained a significant amount of the variance in the same models. These findings highlight the importance of analogical processing in SLA and the significant implications such processing has for cognitive accounts of SLA and for second language teaching.

My diploma thesis addresses the usage of the internet for marketing of small-scale enterprises in our surroundings. My goal is to analyse the internet environment and the possibilities of its use for marketing purposes. The analysis of internet utilities is also included. There is one case study of small-scale enterprise with appropriate conclusions in the final part of my diploma thesis. My thesis is divided into two parts. In the first part I created theoretical footholds for my thesis and I described the dilemma of the internet marketing with the use of propriate specialized literature and internet sources. I describe small-scale enterprises and it's role in our economy. This parts also includes the development of the Internet in the whole world and in the Czech republic and I want to make the acquaintance of internet as a marketing tool. The second part, the practical one, covers specific possibilities of the usage of the internet for marketing of small-scale enterprises. This part contains their characteristics and their advantages and drawbacks in different surroundings. The most important point of the second part is the case study of the shopping portal Zoot.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Science Education, University of the Witwatersrand. November 5, 2016. / A debate in South Africa on learner performance in Physical Science inevitably leads to the issue of proficiency in the language of learning and teaching (LoLT). The researcher is of the opinion that general understanding of the meaning of proficiency in LoLT usually refers to the ability to read and write well in that language which happens to be English in the majority of South African high schools. As low as 7% of the South African school going population regard themselves as English speaking (Department of Basic Education, 2010). The status of English as lingua franca has caused parents and teachers to believe that it is in the interest of learners to be taught in English (Wildsmith-Cromarty & Gordon, 2009). This view resulted that the debate on proficiency includes amongst others, opinions of those who propagate home language teaching and those who call for English as the preferred medium of instruction. This research contributes to the debate on proficiency by pointing to the important contribution that the science teacher can make to enculturate learners into the language of school science. The fact that both English First Additional Language learners (EFALs) as well as English Home Language learners (EHLs) struggle to understand Physical Science (Probyn, 2015) is indicative of the important role that the science teacher can play in assisting learners to understand Physical Science. In lieu of this, teachers are encouraged to focus on vocabulary building as well as the manner in which LoLT is employed to construe science knowledge. This is a functional view of language, namely, that language is used to convey a particular meaning hence the language differs across registers. Michael Halliday (1993) is credited for the development of a systemic functional linguistic view on language. This study analysed two teachers’ classroom languages from a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) perspective with specific emphasis on the register variables field and mode. Results show that LoLT was perceived as transparent when learners are EHLs and considered a barrier to learning Physical Science if learners are EFALs. In both cases, teachers seemed unable to enculturate learners into the language of school science when used to convey science meaning. An absence of that focus is what Bernstein called an “invisible pedagogy / TG2017

This study has investigated the take-up, at a range of South African tertiary institutions, of Open Educational Resources (OER) designed for mathematics teacher education. Although numerous studies (e.g. Darling-Hammond, 2006; Jonassen & Rohrer-Murphy, 1999; Loughran, 2006) have identified criteria for the development of quality materials for teacher education, and have investigated ways in which these have been and should be used, little attention has been paid to the implications of these findings for the use of OER in teacher education. In 2006 the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE) initiated the ACEMaths project to pilot a collaborative materials design and adaptation process in response to a Department of Education call for large scale teacher upgrading programmes leading to an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) in priority areas. Nine South African tertiary institutions formed the collaborative group for the development of Mathematics teacher education materials. Six of these institutions committed to using the pilot materials in their teacher education programmes in 2007. Methodologically, the research is a case study of cases (Adler & Reed, 2002), in which the varying uses of the materials in these six institutional sites constituted the individual cases. At each site data were gathered from session observations, questionnaires and interviews. Artefacts, such as examples of customised materials, were also collected. Cross case analysis revealed that institutions used the ACEMaths materials in both similar and different ways and in a range of programmes. Findings from this analysis and their implications for both initial inter-institutional designing and subsequent intra-institutional re-designing and re-use of OER are discussed.

Alstom Transport, entreprise du transport ferroviaire français, s’interroge sur l’émergence de nouveaux usages dans les véhicules de transports publics urbains. Afin de répondre à cette question, l’approche systémique a été choisie comme cadre théorique. Cette approche permet d’interroger l’organisation du système individus-habitacle. Des observations participantes structurées ont été menées dans 12 villes (dans cinq pays). Le traitement des données combinant les méthodes quantitative et qualitative a permis de décrire le placement en fonction de deux échelles (l’échelle de l’habitacle et l’échelle de l’individu). L’importance dans l’organisation du système de la position assise et de la possibilité de s’adosser a été mis en évidence, ainsi qu’une organisation spatiale des activités des individus. Une forme d’usage potentiellement émergente a pu être observée. Celle-ci interroge une évolution possible de l’organisation de placement, et ouvre de nouvelles perspectives de recherche concernant l’organisation spatiale des activités. / The French rail transport company Alstom Transport inquires whether new usages are emerging in urban public transport vehicles. The systemic approach has been chosen as a theoretical frame to respond to this question. This approach enables to examine the organization of the individual-passenger compartment system. Structured observation has been conduct in 12 cities (5 countries). Data analysis combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, allows describing the placement based on 2 scales (the passengers compartment and the individual). The sense of the sitting position and the possibility to lean on has been brought to light as well as the spatial organization of activities. A potentially emerging usage could be observed. It interrogates a possible evolution of the organization of placement, and opens new research perspectives regarding the spatial organization of activities.

A partir dos anos 90, os sistemas de gestão integrados ou sistemas ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) apareceram como potencial solução para a necessidade de processamento de informação nas organizações. Os sistemas ERP são pacotes de aplicações de processos de negócios padronizados que propiciam visibilidade do negócio, ao fornecer a informação integrada e consolidada em único banco de dados, em tempo real e em diferentes áreas da organização. Por outro lado, a implantação de um ERP ocasiona profundas mudanças na maneira como os empregados de uma organização desempenham seus trabalhos. Pesquisas da literatura relacionada ao tema sugerem que os sistemas ERP são capazes de propiciar ampla visibilidade para a gerência, implicando em maior controle. Simultaneamente, podem contribuir para o empowerment do empregado através do maior acesso à informação, da mesma forma que as regras e procedimentos dos processos organizacionais do sistema ERP levam a uma maior disciplina e induzem a uma maior reflexão sobre as práticas do trabalho, tornando-os mais eficazes. Este estudo busca contribuir com um maior entendimento para as organizações que pretendem alcançar o equilíbrio entre esses efeitos. Ao mesmo tempo, busca-se compreender a relação com a , bem como melhorar a capacidade dos indivíduos de pensar de forma inovadora e pró-ativa sobre seus trabalhos, implicando em aumento da eficiência, da eficácia e em vantagem competitiva da organização. O referencial bibliográfico apresentou conceitos relacionados ao poder (sob a ótica de Foucault), ao controle organizacional e ao empowerment. O estudo foi conduzido com uma metodologia quantitativa, através de uma survey realizada em uma organização multinacional com 213 respondentes. A pesquisa revelou que apesar da visibilidade das ações proporcionada pelo sistema ERP, os respondentes não se sentem mais controlados ou monitorados pelos seus superiores ou seus pares. Os resultados indicaram também que a visibilidade da informação propiciada pelo sistema ERP impulsiona a autonomia, facilitando o empowerment. Em contraste com pesquisas anteriores, que relacionam a reflexão a melhorias nas práticas de trabalho, este estudo relaciona a reflexão a preocupação e comprometimento em executar as atividades padronizadas do sistema. / Since the 1990s integrated information systems, better known as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) really started to take off as a potential solution for the integration of all core business areas in the organizations. ERP systems are commercial software applications that support and integrate organizational processes across functional boundaries .The identifying characteristic of ERP systems is their ability to integrate these business processes by standardizing data, allowing more visibility by consolidating all the information of the different modules in one shared database, in real time. On the other hand, implementing a ERP system causes profound changes in the way employees perform their tasks. Research of the concerning literature suggests that ERP systems enable management to look vertically and horizontally across the organization, thus increasing visibility and control within the company. Simultaneously, these systems contribute to the empowerment of the employees through better access to information, in the same way that the rules and procedures of the ERP systems engage employees in greater self discipline and reflection on work practices. This study is based on the generally accepted potential of ERP systems to generate control and empowerment, and aims to contribute to a better understanding for those organizations that intend to reach a balance between those effects. In addition, the investigation focuses on the skill of individuals to think in innovative and pro-active ways about their work, resulting in increased efficiency, effectiveness and competitive advantage for the company. The literature review addresses concepts such as Foucaults view of disciplinary power, organizational control and empowerment. The study adopted a quantitative methodology through a survey conducted in a multinational organization with 213respondents. The study revealed that , despite the visibility offered by the ERP system, the respondents do not feel more controlled or monitored by their superiors or peers. Results also reveal that the information visibility granted by the system fosters autonomy, making empowerment easier. In contrast to previous research, which relates reflexion to improved working practices, the present study relates reflexion to concern with and commitment to performing the systems standardized tasks.