There is an apparent problem with children being abused in different ways in their everyday life and the lack of education related to these issues among working adults in the vicinity of these children, for example as social workers or teachers. There are formal courses in child interview training that teach participants how to talk to children in a correct manner. Avatar-mediation enables new methods of practicing this communication without having to involve a real child or role play face-to-face with another adult. In this study it was explored how a system could be designed in order to enable educational practice sessions where a child interview expert can be mediated through avatars in the form of virtual children. Prototypes were developed in order to evaluate the feasibility of the scenario regarding methods for controlling the avatar and how the avatar was perceived by the participants. It was found that there is a clear value in the educational approach of using avatar-mediation. From the perspective of the interactor it was found that using a circular radial interface for graphical representation of different emotions was possible to control a video-based avatar while simultaneously having a conversation with the participant. The results of the study include a proposed design of an interface, description of underlying system functionality and suggestions on how avatar behavior can be characterized in order to achieve a high level of presence for the participant.

This study investigates the diversification of contemporary diplomacy in a deeper manner by choosing the concept of dance, which has never been chosen before. Theoretical andhistorical analysis of dance diplomacy helps us to answer the main research question of thestudy how does dance diplomacy contribute to the diversification of contemporary diplomacy. This research paper utilizes a qualitative methodology with the interpretative, historical, descriptive and cultural approaches and uses qualitative methods of literature review, content analysis, comparative analysis and theory triangulation. In this study we seethat dancers and choreographers complement today's diplomats, we find that the implications of cultural diversity expand an understanding of contemporary diplomacy, and that new emerging practices of dance diplomacy contribute to “new diplomacy” findings. Furthermore, practices of dance diplomacy could be described as parts of cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy, instruments of soft power or forms of nonverbal communication. This illustrates that contemporary diplomacy is somehow shaped by culture, public, power and communication, and therefore it could be understood from all these perspectives. Besides this, a chosen historical perspective and a background of the dance diplomacy help us to see that dance diplomacy is a natural consequence of the evolution of diplomacy. At last, it is relevant for the academic society to ground it on a scientific theoretical basis, which could expand our understanding of contemporary diplomacy.

The proposed thesis deals with the topic of body language in visual art and with understanding of body language as synergy of the innermost experience and the experience of the bodily form. The theoretical part of the thesis analyses psychological, anthropological and art historical literature published both in the Czech Republic and abroad. The point of departure for the theoretical part is the concept of interconnectedness of sensory perception, its cognitive analysis and the ensuing answer to the environment, focusing especially on the subjective character of these processes. In the practical part of the proposed thesis, an educational art project is designed, based on the results of the theoretical study in the first part and impulses from contemporary visual art (Eva Koťátková, Erwin Wurm, Miriam Cabessa and others). The aim of the educational part is to observe the processes mentioned above, concentrating especially on the creative expression through an artistic action and the experience of the individual.

In this thesis, I use a multi-perspectival analytical approach to investigate the paralanguage of naturally occurring work-based Instant Message conversations. My research into the field of computer-mediated discourse analysis (CMDA) has shown that written non-verbal cues have been considered as important means of contextualising text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC), yet their scholarly treatment has been scant. Previous findings about the importance paralanguage in CMD have been further strengthened by the findings of the field of business communication: in the virtual work environment the lack of audio-visual information has been found to contribute to miscommunication and consequently hinder cooperation. The linguistic devices and discursive strategies that are used in order to compensate for the limitations imposed by the text-based communicative channel have therefore been identified as in need of further exploration. In this thesis, I have outlined a CMC cue system based on the previous findings of CMDA to investigate the range of cues used as non-verbal signals in workplace text- based CMC. I have also used a multi-perspectival approach based on the theoretical frameworks of interactional sociolinguistics, communities of practice, relational work and politeness and conversation analysis (CA) in order to investigate the range of interactional roles of paralanguage during computer-mediated business conversations. The interpretive CA-informed analysis I have conducted has provided evidence of the important role of non-verbal signals during the contextualisation of complex transactional and relational communicative goals in the workplace. The analysis in this thesis has provided two significant results: firstly, by incorporating the findings of research into paralanguage of spoken as well as other written genres it resulted in a comprehensive description of the orthographic and typographic non-verbal cues used in text-based CMC and, secondly, by drawing on the multi-perspectival framework, it allowed for a description of the complex interactional functions of these cues during the contextualisation of content and relational intent and the creation of interactional coherence in IM.

Background Within trauma teams, effective communication is necessary to ensure safe and secure care of the patient. Deficiencies in communication are one of the most important factors leading to patient harm. Time is an essential factor for rapid and efficient disposal of trauma teams to increase patients’ survival and prevent morbidity. Trauma team training plays an important role in improving the team’s performance, while the leader of the trauma team faces the challenge of coordinating and optimizing this performance. Aim The overall aim of this thesis was to analyse how members of trauma teams communicated verbally and non-verbally during trauma team training in emergency settings, and how the leaders were positioned or positioned themselves in relation to other team members. The aim was also to investigate the use of a communication tool, closed-loop communication, and the time taken to make a decision to go to surgery in relation to specific factors in the team as well as the leader’s position. Methods Eighteen trauma teams were audio and video recorded and analysed during regular in situ training in the emergency room at a hospital in northern Sweden. Each team consisted of six participants: two physicians, two nurses, and two enrolled nurses, giving a total of 108 participants. In Study I, the communication between the team members was analysed using a method inspired by discourse psychology and Strauss’ concept of “negotiated orders”. In Study II, the communication in the teams was categorized and quantified into “call-outs” and “closed-loop communication”. The analysis included the team members’ background data and results from Study I concerning the leader’s position in the team. Poisson regression analyses were performed to assess closed-loop communication (outcome variable) in relation to background data and leadership style (independent exploratory variables). In Study III, quantitative content analysis was used to categorize and organize the team members’ positions and the leaders’ non-verbal communication in the video-recorded material. Time sequences of leaders’ non-verbal communications in terms of gaze direction, speech time, and gestures were identified separately to the level of seconds and presented as proportions (%) of the total training time. The leaders’ vocal nuances were also categorized. The analysis in Study IV was based on the team members’ background data, the results from Study I concerning the leader’s position in the team, and the categorization and quantification of team communication from Study II. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to assess the time taken to make a decision to go to surgery (outcome variable) in relation to background data, the leader’s position, and closed-loop communication (independent variables). Results The findings in Study I showed that team leaders used coercive, educational, discussing, and negotiating repertoires to convey knowledge and create common goals of priorities in work. The repertoires were used flexibly and changed depending on the urgency of the situation and the interaction between the team members. When using these repertoires, the team leaders were positioned or positioned themselves in either an authoritarian or an egalitarian position. Study II showed that closed-loop communication was used to a limited extent during the trauma team training. Call-out was more frequently used by team members with eleven or more years in the profession and experience of trauma within the past year, compared with team members with no such experience. Scandinavian origin, an egalitarian team leader and previous experience of two or more structured trauma courses were associated with more frequent use of closed-loop communication compared to those with no such origin, leader style, or experience. Study III showed that team leaders who gained control over the “inner circle” used gaze direction, vocal nuances, verbal commands, and gestures to solidify their verbal messages. Leaders who spoke in a hesitant voice or were silent expressed ambiguity in their non-verbal communication, and other team members took over the leader's tasks. Study IV showed that the team leader’s closed-loop communication was important for making the decision to go to surgery. In 8 of 16 teams, decisions on surgery were taken within the timeframe of the trauma team training. Call-outs and closed-loop communication initiated by the team members were significantly associated with a lack of decision to go to surgery. Conclusions The leaders used different repertoires to convey and gain knowledge in order to create common goal in the teams. These repertoires were both verbal and non-verbal, and flexible. They shifted depending on the urgency of the situation and the interaction within the team. Depending on the chosen repertoire, the leaders were positioned or positioned themselves as egalitarian and/or authoritarian leaders. In urgent situations, the leaders used closed-loop communication as part of a coercive repertoire, and called out commands and directed requests to specific team members. This repertoire was important for making the decision to go to surgery; the more closed-loop communication initiated by the leader, the more likely that the team would make a decision to go to surgery. Problems arose if the leaders were positioned or positioned themselves as either an authoritarian or an egalitarian leader. The leaders needed to be flexible and use different repertories in order to move the teamwork forward. It was notable that higher numbers of call-outs and closed-loop communication initiated by the team members decreased the probability of making the decision to go to surgery.

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The thesis deals with social communication in economic education with special focus on actual level of students' communication abilities within selected institutions. The special attention is paid to the aspects and the competencies that are crucial to be developed. The work is divided into two parts and two related research problems. The base of the thesis lies in the application of rhetorical and social communication aspects into economic subjects in which the influence of these aspects on the quality of presentation is researched with the help of experimental method and observation. The presentation is focused on economic topic that is presented by students to their colleagues. The evaluation is focused on final quality of presentation (evaluated with the help of selected aspects). Next key part of the thesis is aimed on the development of students' ability to give the arguments in economic subject with the help of active teaching methods. The influence of active teaching methods on students' knowledge is assessed. The students are divided into two groups; the first one is taught with the help of active teaching methods, the second one via classic frontal teaching method. The knowledge of the topic is evaluated by didactic test. The fundamental meaning of active teaching methods with focus on argumentation is highlighted because of its crucial importance for future students' acting in the labour market. The importance of differences between pretest and posttest is evaluated via Paired Two Sample t-test; the importance of differences between experimental and control group via Student's t-test. The main methods used in the work are experiment, observation, scaling, survey, didactic test and statistic interpretations such a Shapiro-Wilk test, F-test, Paired Two Sample t-test, Student's t-test. On the basis of the results there will be suggested integration of rhetorical and communication aspects and of the selected active teaching methods into teaching of economic subjects. The purpose of the work is to show the importance of communication aspects integration into teaching of economic subjects and to suggest the possibilities how to develop the communication aspects.

Cultural diversity in a global community demands our tolerant understanding of one another. Participatory art projects can be instrumental in facilitating equal-footing en­counters and creative communication between people from different cultures that transcend language barriers. Used as a methodology for synergistic exchange and exploration, they represent a useful tool for the study and advancement of alternative solutions to development-related themes, particularly where non-verbal communication is either essential or advantageous.This report considers an independent arts-based project, “How to Talk to Dragons”, which was carried out in Phnom Penh, Cambodia by cultural workers from Berlin. The inter-cultural project chose the art form of shadow puppetry to explore the country’s culture and the experiences of its people, and to exchange ideas and perspectives in an engaging and socially just forum. The question guiding this cultural voyage of discovery was how the symbolic dragon, a mythical creature with a global resonance but subject to different perceptions in Europe and Asia, might be used as an agent for opening the way to revealing insights into human nature.The report also explores the links between How to Talk to Dragons and ComDev practices and, by incorporating an auto-ethnographic approach, considers how this method can serve to provide a better understanding of practice and add value to project analysis from a practitioner's perspective.It finds that open concept projects offer an exceptional flexibility to adapt to local and cultural conditions and makes the case for the Cambodian shadow theatre known as Sbek Touch (literal meaning: small leather) as a valuable emancipatory tool for promoting communication across social, economic and cultural borders. It recommends further studies into its potential for raising and identifying sometimes controversial issues in a humorous manner and for uncovering collective solutions, particularly among marginalized communities and classes. Ultimately, the report points to Hooks’ “Practice of Love” as an overarching concept that can inform and transform activities designed to engage with and embrace diversity.

The aim of this study is to investigate the approach taken by upper primary school teachers to the development of pupils’ verbal communication skills in Swedish as a school subject. The study also looks at to what degree quieter pupils receive support in the development of these skills. A qualitative study was undertaken in which interviews were conducted with four qualified upper primary school teachers. All four teachers reported that they organized their teaching so as to suit all their pupils. All the teachers described their methodology as interactive where the pupils are involved and active. Three teachers described the work with the development of pupils’ verbal communication skills as not to be prioritized in comparison to the other parts of the Swedish subject. According to the teachers, pupils often practice these skills in other subjects. The teachers talked about the need for a supportive classroom environment if pupils are to be willing to speak while others are listening. Nevertheless, the teachers also found creating a disciplined and accepting classroom environment to be a challenge. In each of their classes the teachers had a couple pupils who did not follow the classroom rules and that effected other pupils in the class. All the teachers described quieter pupils in their classes. Three teachers reported that they supported quieter pupils through a good contact with both the pupils and the parents. Otherwise, the quieter pupils didn’t get any specific support. / Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka lärares syn på att utveckla elevers samtalsförmågor i svenskämnet i skolans mellanår. Syftet är vidare att undersöka hur mer tystlåtna elever får stöd i detta arbete samt vilka utmaningar som lärare upplever i utvecklingen av elevers samtalsförmågor. Metoden som har använts är kvalitativa intervjuer av fyra legitimerade och verksamma lärare i skolans mellanår. De deltagande lärare beskriver att de utformar arbetssätt som präglas av att eleverna är aktiva. Arbetssätten beskrivs som utformade för att passa så många som möjligt av eleverna i klassrummet. Tre av fyra lärare beskriver att utvecklingen av elevers samtalsförmågor är lågprioriterad i jämförelse med andra delar av svenskan vilket lärarna menar kan bero på att samtal sker kontinuerligt i flera ämnen. Alla lärare beskriver betydelsen av ett tryggt klassrumsklimat för att elever både ska våga och vilja ta ordet i klassrummet när andra lyssnar. Lärarna beskriver att upprätthållandet av ett tryggt klassrumsklimat kan vara en utmaning eftersom ett par elever i varje klass på olika sätt inte förhåller sig till gemensamma regler. Det i sin tur menar lärarna kan påverka andra elever i klassrummet. Alla lärare beskriver även att det finns mer tystlåtna elever i klassrummet. Det stöd som de mer tystlåtna eleverna får i utvecklingen av samtalsförmågorna beskrives som dialoger med elev och vårdnadshavare angående tystlåtenheten samt genom positiva förstärkningar. I övrigt stöttas inte dessa elever på något specifikt sätt.

Under de senaste decennierna har datorspel etablerats som ett legitimt forskningsområde. Inom denna forskning har den artificiella intelligensen (AI) varit av stort intresse framförallt i relation till de karaktärer inom spel som kallas för non-playable characters (NPC). Fokus har legat på att göra dessa karaktärer mer trovärdiga och på så sätt göra spel mer engagerande och potentiellt främja immersion. I och med detta bör alla aspekter av NPC:er utforskas för att säkerställa att alla bidragande faktorer har identifierats och kan därefter användas för att ytterligare utveckla dessa. Då social interaktion inom datorspel har tidigare kopplats till en spelares immersion är det viktigt att förstå alla komponenter som uppgör denna. Den mänskliga kommunikationen är grundad i både verbala och icke-verbala uttryck vilket tillsammans skapar den sociala interaktionen. Därför undersöker denna studie de aspekter av en karaktärs beteende som kan kategoriseras som icke-verbala uttryck. Detta utförs med hjälp av en kvalitativ observationsmetod för att identifiera vilka variationer som existerar, hur de uppfattas, samt om de påverkar karaktärers trovärdighet och därefter spelarens känsla av immersion. / In recent decades, computer games have been established as a legitimate area of research. In this research, artificial intelligence (AI) has been of great interest especially in relation to the characters in games called non-playable characters (NPCs). The focus has been on making these characters more believable and thus making games more engaging and potentially more immersive. In doing so, all aspects of NPCs should be explored to ensure that all contributing factors have been identified and can then be used to further develop them. As social interaction in computer games have previously been linked to a player's immersion, it is important to understand all the contributing components. Human communication is based on both verbal and non-verbal behaviors, which together create social interaction. Therefore, this study examines the aspects of NPC behavior that can be categorized as non-verbal expressions. This is achieved using a qualitative observation method to identify what variations exist, how they are perceived, and whether they affect the believability of characters and the player's immersion.