Esta pesquisa destina-se a propor, aplicar e analisar um debate regrado, via WhatsApp (WA), a partir de uma sequência didática, no contexto pedagógico das aulas de língua portuguesa, do 4 ano do Ensino Integrado de uma escola da rede pública de educação. Para atingir tal fim, dispomo-nos a transcrever e analisar as interações de áudio ocorridas no debate; identificar as diversas semioses presentes nas interações como marcas multimodais do debate regrado, via aplicativo WA. A metodologia proposta é de natureza, predominantemente, qualitativa, embora recorramos a quantificações estatísticas como forma de sistematização dos dados. O corpus é resultado de uma pesquisa definida como estudo de caso. Tomamos as interações realizadas no debate regrado, via WA: áudio, mensagens de texto, imagens e emoticons, como materiais de análise. As bases epistemológicas que fundamentam esses objetivos dialogam com a teoria dialógica da linguagem (BAKHTIN/VOLOCHÍNOV, 2009), a teoria de gêneros na perspectiva dialógica (BAKHTIN, 2009, 2011), e na visão da Linguística Textual (MARCUSCHI, 2004, 2008); com a abordagem sobre os letramentos (GEE, 2008; STREET, 2014; SOARES, 2014; ROJO, 2009) e os multiletramentos (Grupo de Nova Londres; ROJO, 2012, 2013), e suas implicações para o ensino a partir de sequências didáticas (DOLZ, NOVERRAZ E SCHNEUWLY, 2004). Os resultados desse estudo demonstram que o debate regrado, via WhatsApp é marcado pela manifestação da oralidade mais planejada e formal, pela escrita mais espontânea e menos monitorada, e pelo uso intenso de intersemioses áudio-escrita-imagens-emoticons, que configuram em um mosaico de semioses multimodais, que se (re)significam num mesmo espaço, no qual as várias linguagens não concorrem entre si, mas se complementam em busca da construção do sentido, suprindo lacunas paralinguísticas, tais como: gestos, emoções e expressões próprias da interação oral face a face. / The aim of this research work is to propose, apply and analyze a ruled debate via, WhatsApp (WA), from an educational sequence within the educational context of Portuguese classes, in the 4th grade of a public Integrated High School. In order to achieve that aim, we have decided to transcribe and analyze the audio interactions occurred on the debate; to identify the various semioses present in the interactions as multimodal marks of the ruled debate, via WA. The proposed methodology is predominantly qualitative, although quantitative statistics can also be used as a way to systematize data. The corpus results from a research defined as a case study. We have taken the interactions occured during the ruled debate, via WA: audio, text messages and images/emoticons as material for analysis. The epistemological bases that ground these purposes dialogue with the dialogic language theory (BAKHTIN/VOLOCHÍNOV, 2009), the theory of genres in the dialogical perspectives (BAKHTIN, 2009, 2011), and under the view of the Textual Linguistics (MARCUSCHI, 2004, 2008); the approach about literacies (GEE, 2008; STREET, 2014; SOARES, 2014; ROJO, 2009) and the multiliteracies (New London Group; ROJO, 2012, 2013), and its implications to the teaching process from educational sequences (DOLZ, NOVERRAZ E SCHNEUWLY, 2004). The results of this study have shown that the ruled debate, via WhatsApp has been marked by the manifestation of a more planned and formal orality, by a more spontaneous and less monitored writing, and by the intense use of audio-writing-images/emoticons intersemioses, that configure a mosaic of multimodal semioses, that resignify in a common place, in which the language diversities do not compete with one another, instead they complement one another in the search for the meaning making, and to fill in the paralinguistic gaps such as: gestures, emotions and expressions typical of face to face oral interactions.

Since the advent of the Internet as a means of communication, more and more people have been using electronic media for a variety of purposes including interpersonal communication, sending and receiving information as well as language learning purposes. Therefore, a line of research in this area seems necessary to gain a better understanding of various aspects involved in this topic and identify its possible advantages. To this end, the present study was an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of an online messaging application, namely WhatsApp Messenger, which is an example of computer-mediated communication tool where both synchronous and asynchronous online communication can occur, on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ syntactic complexity. This research was an experimental study and had a pretest-posttest design. This study had an experimental and a control group. The participants in the experimental group of this study were 15 adult intermediate language learners. They were asked to participate in eight discussion tasks and post on WhatsApp Messenger for a period of two months. The quantitative analyses were carried out by running independent samples t-tests as well as Mann-Whitney U tests to determine the differences in terms of syntactic complexity. The results revealed that using WhatsApp Messenger for communication practice had significant impacts for this group of learners on eleven measures of syntactic complexity. In addition, a survey questionnaire was administered to further delve into the participants’ perceptions and beliefs about their experience of computer-mediated communication. The results showed that participants found this messaging tool helpful and were satisfied with it in terms of comfort level. Participants also showed positive feedback toward the design and implementation of the study. / Graduate

Master of Public Health - MPH / Background: As South Africa’s HIV programme increases in size, increasingly complex HIV/TB cases occur that are often beyond the clinical scope of primary health care clinicians. In the Eastern Cape (EC) province, health facilities are geographically widespread, with a discrepancy of specialist availability outside of academic/tertiary institutions. The use of WhatsApp, a Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) application, could facilitate learning and mentoring of primary healthcare clinicians in peripheral facilities. The aim of this study is to describe this app and its use as an alternative learning tool to improve clinician access to specialized management of complicated HIV/TB cases, as part of Continuing Medical Education (CME). Method: A an observational, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among a group of clinicians from the EC province that formed part of a Wits RHI WhatsApp HIV/TB clinical discussion group from January 2016 to July 2017. Data was collected using a structured anonymous internet questionnaire, distributed to the clinicians that formed part of the WhatsApp group, informed consent being obtained from participants prior to completion. Data was analysed with Epi Info, using descriptive and analytic statistics. Frequency distributions and cross tabulations were generated and bi-variate analysis was done to determine significant associations between relevant variables.

Master of Public Health - MPH / Background: As South Africa’s HIV programme increases in size, increasingly complex HIV/TB cases occur that are often beyond the clinical scope of primary health care clinicians. In the Eastern Cape (EC) province, health facilities are geographically widespread, with a discrepancy of specialist availability outside of academic/tertiary institutions. The use of WhatsApp, a Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) application, could facilitate learning and mentoring of primary healthcare clinicians in peripheral facilities. The aim of this study is to describe this app and its use as an alternative learning tool to improve clinician access to specialized management of complicated HIV/TB cases, as part of Continuing Medical Education (CME). Method: A an observational, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among a group of clinicians from the EC province that formed part of a Wits RHI WhatsApp HIV/TB clinical discussion group from January 2016 to July 2017. Data was collected using a structured anonymous internet questionnaire, distributed to the clinicians that formed part of the WhatsApp group, informed consent being obtained from participants prior to completion. Data was analysed with Epi Info, using descriptive and analytic statistics. Frequency distributions and cross tabulations were generated and bi-variate analysis was done to determine significant associations between relevant variables.

En la actualidad, una de las formas más prácticas y rápidas de difundir mensajes con contenido humorístico, es a través del teléfono celular que cuenta con la aplicación WhatsApp. Entre los mensajes más comunes que se envían están los memes, una forma de humor sarcástico e irónico de la realidad. Estos mensajes se han hecho virales durante la pandemia del coronavirus, como un modo de enfrentar la adversidad con humor. En tal sentido, el objetivo del presente trabajo es describir los memes sobre el coronavirus que se difundieron mediante el teléfono celular durante los días de confinamiento social en el Perú del 16 de marzo al 30 de junio del 2020. Se encontró que la capacidad creativa de las personas no tiene límites para expresar sus opiniones ante los problemas que se presentan. Se puede concluir que, ante la adversidad de esta enfermedad, una de las formas de hacerle frente es mediante el humor, para hacer más llevadero los problemas que se presentaban en el día a día. / One of the most practical and fastest ways to spread messages with humorous content is through the cell phone with the WhatsApp application. Among the most common messages sent are memes, a sarcastic and ironic form of humor from reality. These messages have gone viral during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to face adversity with humor. In this sense, this work aims to describe the memes about the coronavirus that were spread through the cell phone during the days of social confi nement in Peru from March 16th to June 30th, 2020. It was found that people's creative capacity has no limits to express their opinions on the problems that arise. It can be concluded that in the face of the adversity of this disease, one of the ways to deal with it is through humor, to make the problems that arose on a day-to-day basis more bearable.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / This paper presents the results of an interview of first-year university students at a private face-to-face university in Lima city on how they use digital technologies in their social and academic lives. This study was positioned in the interpretive paradigm with qualitative research design. Semi-structured interview with 13 open-ended questions was selected as the means of data. Atlas.ti. were used to analysed and coded all the interviews. To provide a well-structured approach to handling a large data set, thematic analysis was employed to analyse the verbatim transcription as outlined by Braun and Clarke. Contrary to the assumption that young learners are seen as highly adept technology users, the findings show that social networks (Facebook and Instagram) and WhatsApp are the most important applications for the participants.

Digitaliserings framväxt har lett till att användning av digitala medier har vuxit markant och inte minst användning av digitala kommunikationsplattformar. Samtidigt växer utbudet och tillgänglighet av applikationer snabbt. WhatsApp är en applikation för snabbmeddelanden tillgänglig på både Android och iPhone. Den används för att skicka textmeddelanden till andra användare eller grupp. För att använda WhatsApp behöver man endast en internetanslutning, tjänsten är kostnadsfri. WhatsApp erbjuder stort utbud av funktioner till användare förutom textmeddelande erbjuds röstsamtal, videosamtal, inspelade röstsamtal. Dessutom är WhatsApp end to end krypterad vilket innebär att meddelanden som skickas med tjänsten är endast läsbara av den avsedda mottagaren.  i samband med den ökad användning av mobilapplikationer finns det ett behov för dessa applikationer att behålla sin funktioner intakta så att användarna inte går över till andra alternativ. Användbarhet är ett nödvändigt krav för att överleva på webben. Den gör att användaren återvänder till applikationen så det är viktig att ha ett lämpligt gränssnitt. Denna studie har till syfte att undersöka användbarheten av applikation WhatsApp baserade på Nielsens 5 kvalitetskomponenter som definierar användbarhet: lärbarhet, effektivitet, minnesvärdhet, fel och tillfredställelse.  Data i denna studie är i form av användarnas recensioner till applikationen WhatsApp som har inhämtats från hemsida capterr.com. På grund av uppsatsens begränsade tidsram behandlats 50 recensioner med användarlängd mellan 1 och 2 år. Till denna uppsats används tematisk innehållsanalys, en metod för att analysera recensionerna av WhatsApp appliaktionen. Jag har gått igenom de valda recensionernas rubrik och innehåll för WhatsApp applikationen för att sedan analysera och identifiera koder i dess data. Dessa koder relaterades sedan till tema för att kunna svara på studiens syfte.  Slutsatsen av studien visar att användarna lyfter förljande teman i sina recensioner: lärbarhet, effektivitet, fel samt tillfredställelse samt att användarna har positiv upplevelse av denna apllikation med utrymme till förbättringar i funktioner.

A capilarização da informação no território brasileiro por meio do smartphone e suas implicações espaciais são resultado da convergência das técnicas de telefonia e internet, cuja rede expande seu alcance para atender à demanda crescente de conexão, sob a regulação de agentes públicos e privados que determinam a implementação e o uso dessas infraestruturas. Os sistemas técnicos que compõem essa rede se fundamentam em lógicas, intenções e investimentos, induzindo seu aperfeiçoamento para a produção e o consumo desses objetos e das informações que por eles fluem de forma banalizada. O papel do smartphone é de conector e ponto de acesso, e seu funcionamento presume uma lógica reticular, pela qual as redes e as distâncias não contíguas não impedem relações cotidianas. As resultantes espaciais dos movimentos de produção, consumo, distribuição e capilarização dessa rede incidem em diferentes escalas do território, sob a influência das relações interescalares e de ordens e intencionalidades de agentes envolvidos no controle dessa rede. / The information networks capillarization in Brazilian territory through the smartphone and its spatial implications are the result of the telephony and internet techniques convergence, whose network expands its reach to meet the increasing demand for connection, under the regulation of public and private agents that determine the implementation and use of these infrastructures. The technical systems that make up this network are based on logic, intentions and investments, inducing their improvement for the production and consumption of these objects and the information that they flow in a trivial way. The role of the smartphone is of connector and access point, and its operation presumes a reticular logic, in which the networks and the noncontiguous distances do not impede daily relations. The spatial results of the movements of production, consumption, distribution and capillarization of this network affect different scales of the territory, under the influence of the interscalar relations and orders and intentionalities of agents involved in the control of this network.

[pt] Os recentes avanços tecnológicos nas áreas de telecomunicação e informática têm proporcionado o surgimento de vários instrumentos novos de comunicação social. Essas inovações criaram as chamadas redes sociais e diversos veículos móveis de comunicação instantânea. O presente estudo visa identificar as razões pelas quais o aplicativo WhatsApp tem se destacado neste setor, em particular no Rio de Janeiro. Para o alcance desse objetivo foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica e pesquisas de campo envolvendo quatro grupos focais. O método tem como base a construção de mapas perceptivos com uma abordagem qualitativa. Conforme os participantes classificam, em conjunto, os doze veículos de comunicação selecionados, relatam seus pontos de vista em relação a cada um deles, revelando aos poucos as razões pelas quais utilizam um ou outro. Uma vez alcançado certo grau de consenso entre os participantes, eles foram submetidos a um questionário para identificar o perfil demográfico do respondente e reforçar questões específicas sobre a utilização do WhatsApp. Os resultados sugerem que, além de ser percebido como um instrumento de comunicação completo, no que tange sua capacidade de troca de texto, som e imagens, esse aplicativo é o mais adotado por ser o mais conhecido e utilizado por seus conhecidos, sejam amigos, familiares ou colegas de trabalho. A resposta sobre como o WhatsApp se tornou o aplicativo mais utilizado pela sociedade em geral, no entanto, requer novas pesquisas. / [en] Recent technological advances in telecommunications and information technology have provided the emergence of several new instruments of social communication. These innovations have created the so-called social networks and various mobile vehicles of instantaneous communication. This study aims to identify the reasons why WhatsApp has excelled in this sector, particularly in Rio de Janeiro. To achieve this objective a bibliographic research and pieces of field research involving four focus groups were conducted. The method is based on the construction of perceptual maps by using a qualitative approach. As participants classify the twelve selected media outlets, they report their views in relation to each of them, revealing gradually the reasons why use one or the other. Once achieved a degree of consensus among the participants they are submitted to a questionnaire that identifies their demographic profile and reinforces specific questions about using WhatsApp. The results suggest that, in addition to being perceived as a complete communication tool. regarding its text, sound and images exchange capacity, this instrument is the most widely adopted by their acquaintances, either friends, member of family or co-workers. The answer on how WhatsApp has become the most widely used application, however, requires further studies.

nÃo hà / Este projeto de pesquisa tem o objetivo de analisar a produÃÃo sociopolÃtica do ativismo digital negro por meio da observaÃÃo do uso do aplicativo Whatsapp pelo grupo âJuventude Negra Kalungaâ, grupo formado por jovens negros que tem como objetivo discutir as relaÃÃes raciais, dando Ãnfase à prÃtica do empoderamento juvenil e à identidade da juventude a partir de sua criaÃÃo nesse aplicativo. Pretende-se observar como o grupo interage neste ciberespaÃo e os desdobramentos que esse ambiente virtual desenvolve nas relaÃÃes presenciais e na construÃÃo de espaÃos de discussÃo para o exercÃcio da cidadania da juventude negra. / This research project aims to analyze the sociopolitical production of black digital activism by observing the use of the Whatsapp application by the group "Black Youth Kalunga", a group formed by young blacks that aims to discuss racial relations, with emphasis on the practice of youth empowerment and the identity of youth from its inception in this application. It is intended to observe how the group interacts in this cyberspace and the unfolding that this virtual environment develops in face-to-face relationships and in the construction of spaces of discussion for the exercise of black youth citizenship.